NFWF Announces $18.5 Million to Conserve Grasslands and Support Ranching Communities Across the Great Plains
Twenty-six projects will benefit iconic wildlife and ranching communities across 11 states
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced nearly $18.5 million in grants to protect vital grassland habitat across the Great Plains while also strengthening ranching operations and communities. The 26 grants announced today will leverage $50.3 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $68.8 million.
These grants will improve habitat for a wide range of species, including grassland birds, pronghorn, greater sage-grouse and black-footed ferrets, while strengthening the long-term sustainability of working ranchlands and tribal communities.
“Advancing conservation across the Great Plains requires collaboration at a scale that matches the landscape, itself,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “Through these grants, NFWF and its partners are conserving and restoring critical grasslands while supporting the ranching communities and local economies that depend on them. Thanks to the support of our funding partners in the public and private sectors, these projects will deliver meaningful conservation outcomes that benefit wildlife, working lands and the people who steward them.”
More than half of the Great Plains’ historic footprint of native grasslands has been lost to land-use conversion, woody encroachment, the spread of invasive species and fragmentation. The projects supported by these grants seek to address these conservation challenges while also restoring grasslands that have been lost, improving grazing practices by volunteer ranching operations and increasing regional capacity to implement wildlife conservation practices.
NFWF awarded $16.8 million grants through the Northern Great Plains Program, a public-private partnership between NFWF and the Bezos Earth Fund, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, ConocoPhillips, Walmart Foundation, Toyota Motors North America, Capri Holdings and Occidental. These grants will leverage $48.5 million in matching funds, generating a total conservation impact of $65.3 million.
The Northern Great Plains Program works on a voluntary basis with private landowners and local partners to conserve and restore native prairie and wildlife populations while also benefiting local ranching operations and tribal communities.
This year’s awards include projects in Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and the Canadian province Saskatchewan. These 21 grants will contribute to the goals of the Northern Great Plains Business Plan by:
- Restoring more than 106,200 acres
- Improving management on more than 533,000 acres
- Improving 177 miles of fencing
- Protecting 236,300 acres via conservation easements and habitat agreements
This year’s slate of grants was strengthened by a major contribution from the Bezos Earth Fund, whose support of NFWF’s long-standing partnership to conserve grasslands across the Northern Great Plains continues to grow.
“Grasslands recover when the people closest to the land have the resources to act,” said Emily Averna, Associate Director for Landscape Restoration at the Bezos Earth Fund. “The Bezos Earth Fund’s support for NFWF is helping ranchers, Tribal and Indigenous-led organizations, and local partners restore more acres, improve habitat for prairie wildlife, and keep working lands strong across one of North America’s most important ecosystems.”
NFWF awarded $1.6 million through the Southern Plains Grasslands Program, a partnership between NFWF and Sysco, Burger King and Cargill. The grants will generate $1.8 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $3.4 million.
This year’s awards include projects in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. These five grants will contribute to the goals of the Southern Plains Grassland Program by:
- Improving grazing management on 156,000 acres of tribal, public lands and private ranches
- Restoring 7,360 acres of upland and grassland habitat
- Removing or improving over 100 miles of fencing to wildlife-friendly specifications
- Increasing regional capacity through technical assistance to producers
“Making meaningful progress in beef sustainability starts with the people who manage the land every day,” said Eliza Clark, Vice President of Sustainability, Cargill Food. “Ranchers play a critical role in the stewardship of grasslands, so partnerships like this can help connect them with practical tools, technical support and shared expertise that work on the ground. By advancing voluntary grazing and conservation practices across the Great Plains, Cargill can support soil health, strengthen wildlife habitat and help ensure these working lands remain productive and resilient for generations to come.”
A complete list of the 2026 grants made through the Northern Great Plains Program is available here, and a list of the 2026 Southern Plains Grasslands Program grants is available here.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.
About the Bezos Earth Fund
The Bezos Earth Fund, guided by the belief that Earth is the best planet in this solar system, works to protect and restore the natural world. Working with partners around the globe, we are developing innovative solutions to ensure the planet remains a place we can – and want to – live on. Based in the United States, the organization is led by President and CEO Tom Taylor, under the direction of Chairman Jeff Bezos and Vice Chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos. To learn more, visit: bezosearthfund.org.
About Cargill
Cargill is committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe,
responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. Our 155,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With over 160 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
Matt Winter National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 202-857-0166 matt.winter@nfwf.org
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