Native Prairie Bank Program

Rewarding your commitment to conservation.

Drawing of native prairie growing near farmyard.You know the place. That portion of your land too hilly, rocky, wet or steep to plow. Where beautiful wildflowers, some unique to the area, bloom spring through fall. You pasture livestock there part of the year. Maybe put the grass up for hay. Hunt deer and pheasants in the fall. Walk out there with your grandchildren on warm sunny days. Meadowlarks and prairie chickens, songbirds and butterflies abound. It's your piece of native prairie.

Your family has been stewards of this land for 20, 50 or a hundred years. Or, you're a more recent landowner. Regardless, you're concerned. That prairie is a special place you want to preserve for future generations; the agricultural lifestyle is one you hope to maintain. And you're wondering, given today's economics, how to do both.

There is a way: by enrolling your land in the Native Prairie Bank program.

Landowners talking about prairie and the Prairie Bank Program. This presentation requires the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

What is Prairie Bank?

In 1987, the Minnesota state legislature created the Native Prairie Bank program as part of the Reinvest in Minnesota legislation. This program allows landowners to protect native prairie on their property through a conservation easement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Permanent easements receive priority.

What is an easement?

Easements reward landowners and their families for preserving prairie in its’ natural state. Landowners receive payment for their native prairie land while keeping it in private ownership, to pass on to future generations. Certain agricultural practices are included in some easements, such as livestock grazing, mowing for hay, or harvesting of native seed.

Am I eligible?

If your tract has native prairie vegetation that has never been plowed, you are eligible for the Native Prairie Bank program. Funding for this program is limited. Other considerations help prioritize tracts, such as the quality of your prairie land, the variety of plants and animals on it, and its proximity to other prairie units.

What sort of payment do I receive?

Payments for permanent Prairie Bank easements are based on a percentage of the average value of cropland in the township as recorded in tax assessment records.

For example: 40 acre prairie in Odessa Township, Big Stone County (2011)

  • Average assessed value of cropland in Odessa Township = $3002.94/acre
  • Prairie Bank payment rate (58.5%) x $3002.94 = $1756.72/acre
  • 40 acre x $1756.72 = $70,268.80

How can I apply?

Where did the prairie go?

Prior to European settlement, more than 18 million acres of prairie covered Minnesota. Our prairie lands were part of the largest ecosystem in North America, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the Rockies to Indiana. A wealth of diverse species, habitats and cultures thrived here.

With its fertile soil, nutritious grasses and aura of possibility, prairie became the basis for an agricultural empire. Today, less than one percent of Minnesota's native prairie remains. The near elimination of native prairie has inspired many efforts to protect remaining parcels. The Native Prairie Bank program is one of those efforts.

Other ways you can help save Minnesota's native prairies

For more information

Prairie Bank Land Protection Specialist
Scientific and Natural Areas Program, Ecological Resources
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
tel. 651-259-5098
e-mail. melissa.driscoll@state.mn.us
The Nature Conservancy-Minnesota Chapter
1101 West River Parkway, Suite 200
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291
tel. 612-331-0700
Northern Tallgrass Prairie Project
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Rt. 1, Box 25
Odessa, MN 56276
tel. 320-273-2191