The push by Pheasants Forever and other conservation groups in support of strengthened federal protections for native grasslands received a boost with the introduction of a “Sodsaver” bill, the Protect our Prairies Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives by Kristi Noem, R-SD, and Tim Walz, D-MN. If enacted, the policy would help conserve native prairie habitats while saving nearly $200 million in federal spending.
“Sodsaver is one of Pheasants Forever’s critical priorities for inclusion in the 2012 Farm Bill. South Dakota’s grasslands are a treasured resource important to pheasants, our economy and our way of life,” said Mike Stephenson, Pheasants Forever’s regional representative for South Dakota.
Native prairie lands represent important nesting areas for pheasants, ducks and other grassland birds – and more than 97 percent of the native grasslands of the U.S. have been lost.
For more information on Pheasants Forever, visit http://www.pheasantsforever.org.