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Last month, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awarded the Partnership for Platte River Habitat Connectivity—a collaborative group that includes Ducks Unlimited (DU), Audubon Great Plains, The Crane Trust, The Nature Conservancy, the Prairie Plains Resource Institute, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—a $536,655 grant to complete several projects that will benefit the health and resilience of wetlands and grasslands along Nebraska’s Platte River.
 
Projects funded by the grant will take place on both private and public land and include grassland restoration, riparian and wet meadow restoration, and habitat restoration that will improve the connectivity and diversity throughout the Platte River system. Methods may include invasive plant removal using techniques such as prescribed burning; installation of wildlife-friendly fencing on conservation-partner grasslands, rangelands, and neighboring private lands to promote healthy plant communities; and riparian and wetland restoration on sites including newly acquired easement properties.
 
"At Rowe Sanctuary, we're really excited that this grant gives us the opportunity to reconnect more grasslands that are currently separated by treelines and to continue the implementation of wildlife-friendly fencing for our grazed areas," said Melissa Mosier, Audobon Great Plains' Platte River Program Manager. "But when we step back and take in the bigger picture, this grant allows Audubon and our partners to work together on a shared vision for an ecologically thriving Platte River. Habitat connectivity is at the foundation of a resilient ecosystem and each of the projects supported by this NFWF grant are important steps along our path toward that larger goal across the riverscape."
 
The work is expected to take place over the next three years, and in the end, the joint efforts between all the organizations engaging in the Partnership for Platte River Habitat Connectivity grant will restore 5,600 acres of grassland and 165 acres of riparian and wet meadow areas, restore hydrology to 83 acres, install 7.5 miles of fencing, and remove 260 acres of woody species adjacent to the Platte River—including vital habitats for the endangered whooping crane.
 
"The Platte River ecosystem, including the riparian areas, wet meadows, other wetlands and grasslands, is all connected and functions to its fullest extent possible when the whole system is working properly. If the riparian area is not restored, the water table may not allow wet meadows and other wetlands to hold water, and if woody encroachment has degraded the grasslands, species such as the endangered whooping crane may avoid the whole system," said Ele Nugent, DU's Manager of Conservation Programs in Nebraska. "By working across the ecosystem, we are able to provide the best possible habitat for wildlife, such as waterfowl, 80% of the entire sandhill crane population that stops along the Platte River, endangered whooping cranes for which the Central Platte River is critical habitat to their recovery, and the plethora of other species that call the Platte River Valley home, whether long term or during migration."    
 
DU and its partners have a long track record of successfully implementing similar activities across the landscape. The collaboration within the group and with local governments, other conservation organizations and local communities is the key to addressing the challenges the Platte River faces and ensuring its long-term health.
 
DISCLAIMER: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.

About Audubon Great Plains
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. 
 
About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 18 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent comprehensive campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.


Media Contact:
Ben Romans
(208) 761-7775

bromans@ducks.org