Prairie Stewardship Planning

^{Prairie professional with students discussing stewardship on a Minnesota prairie.}

Do you own property? Are you wondering how you can save your prairie for future generations, plant a prairie restoration, or improve the prairie or grassland on your property?

An important first step to manage prairie is to create a management plan, often referred to as a prairie stewardship plan. Plans vary based on the goals for your prairie and the resources you have available. The more personalized the prairie stewardship plan, the better.

A Great Place to Start

The Prairies of Minnesota Landowner Handbook is a step-by step approach to planning prairie management. It includes a workbook that you can use to create your own customized plan.

Getting Advice: Key Players

A conversation with a prairie expert can be a great next step as you develop your prairie stewardship plan.

• Regional Ecologists and Prairie Specialists with the Minnesota DNR can help provide information about the original vegetation, existing native plant communities, and native plants and animals in your area. They can also answer questions on management techniques and protection options.
• The Nature Conservancy has a wide variety of Prairie Restoration Guides available for reference.
• Through the Partners for Fish & Wildlife program the US Fish and Wildlife Service provides expertise, along with support to landowners to improve fish and wildlife habitat on their lands.
• Pheasants Forever Biologists and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) consultants specialize in local conservation planning and available conservation programs.

Community Support

Minnesota's prairie community—the human one, that is—is large and has many active players. No matter how seasoned or new you are to prairie management, knowing who to go to with questions can be key to your project's success. These prairie partner organizations have more details.

• Audubon Minnesota
• Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts
• Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources (BWSR)
• Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
• Minnesota Master Naturalists
• Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society
• Pheasants Forever
• The Nature Conservancy - Minnesota
• The Prairie Enthusiasts
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region 
• USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) | Minnesota