One Nation, Under God

Articles written by Bebe Crouse


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  • Agreement Penned to Protect Grassland Birds and Ranching

    Bebe Crouse, The Nature Conservancy|Sep 19, 2018

    The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have finalized their first landowner agreement aimed at protecting habitat for greater sage-grouse and other declining grassland birds. With Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs), landowners commit to practices that avoid or remove threats to the habitat of certain designated species. In exchange, landowners are not subject to additional limits on their ranching land, water or resources should one of these species be listed as endangered. This first CCAA in the...

  • Nature Conservancy Wildflower walks set for April and May

    Bebe Crouse, The Nature Conservancy|Apr 25, 2018

    Come walk on The Nature Conservancy’s Matador Ranch and see the first prairie wildflowers of the year- phlox, milkvetches, rock cress, maybe even a prairie crocus! Our knowledgeable staff will be along to help identify what you see. The first walk will be held on Saturday, April 26 at 12:30 p.m., and a second walk will be held on Saturday, May 26 starting at 8 a.m. For both walks, guests are asked to meet at the Matador Ranch bunkhouse. The ranch is located 35 miles south of Malta on Highway 191, turn east down the driveway at mile marker 1...

  • Opportunity offers security for ranchers and prairie birds

    Bebe Crouse, The Nature Conservancy|Mar 28, 2018

    The Nature Conservancy has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on an innovative and voluntary program that contributes toward the conservation of greater sage-grouse and four declining grassland songbird species on ranching and agricultural lands. The goal of the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) is to maintain and enhance habitats for these birds while providing assurances to ranchers against potential future land use restrictions. Landowners who enroll in this voluntary program agree to address...

  • Preserving Sage Grouse and Ranching with Conservation Easements

    Bebe Crouse, The Nature Conservancy|Jul 20, 2016

    The conversion of native grassland and sagebrush to cropland is one of the greatest threats to wildlife that depend on this disappearing habitat such as greater sage-grouse. A new study projects that, if conversion rates continue as expected, sage grouse populations could drop another 5-7 percent in eastern Montana. But the study also offers a solution. Keep habitat intact by focusing voluntary conservation easements that retain ranching as a desired and compatible land use in areas that are most at risk to new cultivation. The study,...