Northern Great Plains

WWF works closely with Native American Tribes in Montana and South Dakota, including the Northern Cheyenne and Oglala-Lakota. WWF and the Northern Cheyenne people are working to restore populations of the endangered black-footed ferret and create a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan for the Montana Reservation. The Oglala-Lakota and National Park Service have been working to designate the first Tribal National Park south of Rapid City, South Dakota. WWF collaborates with the tribe and Park Service and after the designation will work to create a wildlife management plan, as well as tourism and visitor opportunities to support the park’s operations.

Cattle ranching is an important part of the Northern Great Plains. Some families in the region have been ranching for more than 150 years to support their families. WWF provides ranchers with resources and progressive ranching techniques that are wildlife and cattle friendly.

From seasonal migrations across state or country boundaries to moving between nesting and feeding grounds, wildlife need the freedom to roam for survival. Development, roads and fences, habitat clearing and invasive plant species restrict wildlife's ability to adapt, move, find mates and food and thrive.

Energy development pressure in the Northern Great Plains comes from both traditional and emerging sources. Oil and gas extraction taps parts of the region that were once believed to be empty of resources. Planners have their sights set as far west as the Rockies. Some of the nation's largest coal reserves exist in the region and wind energy development is happening along the eastern edge. As technology improves, it's assumed that coal development will boom in the region and wind farms will move west.

In the Northern Great Plains, WWF predicts erratic weather will result in more extreme levels of heat, snow and rain, severe floods and droughts. Land managers will need to change how they plan, implement, evaluate and carry forward their land use plans to make ends meet in the face of climate change. 

Long-term conservation success in the Northern Great Plains cannot happen without collaboration with community leaders, landowners and wildlife and land management agencies. Since 2010, WWF has been working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners to move prairie dogs away from neighboring ranches. This one-of-a-kind effort relocates prairie dogs to the middle of the grassland where they can thrive and one day support a population of endangered black-footed ferrets. In 2009, WWF worked with Canada's Grasslands National Park to help reintroduce black-footed ferrets to the park. This ferret release marked the return of the endangered species to Canada after a 70-year absence. 

In cooperation with the Northern Great Plains Network, WWF researched and published the 2004 and 2012 editions of Ocean of Grass, a regional biodiversity and threats assessment for the Northern Great Plains. This has become the primary resource for the partnership to guide conservation activities and focus across the Northern Great Plains.