The Southeastern Grasslands Ini2a2ve: Char2ng A New Course for Conserva2on in the 21st Century Dwayne Estes, Theo Witsell, Alan Weakley, Reed Noss, Clark Mitchell
Tommy Johns & The Fabled Squirrel
Great Smoky Mountains Na?onal Park, Swain Co., NC
Arable lands were Savannas succeeded Why did Tommy not teach us about Southern grasslands? converted to crop fields to forests
William Foote 1846, describing vicinity of Charlo<e NC prior to 1750
“Previous to the year 1750...the solitary cabins were found upon the borders of prairies, and in the vicinity of canebrakes, the the immense ranges abounding with wild game, and affording sustenance the whole year for herds of tame caAle. Extensive tracts of country between the Yadkin and the Catawba, now waving with thriFy forests, then were covered with tall grass, with scarce a bush or shrub...the abundant grass luxuriaGng in its naGve wildness and beauty...”
THIS IS THE REASON WHY TOMMY NEVER TAUGHT US ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN GRASSLANDS
Montgomery, Alabama, c. 1775 (Oil on canvas by Philip Juras)
Southern Grasslands Once Covered >100 Million Acres
DeSelm & Murdock (1993)
Estes et al. (in prep.) – >100 million acres, 90% lost
How do we know North Carolina’s grasslands were so extensive?
French Map (1720)
Henslow’s Sparrow
Legrand’s Barbara’s-‐ BuAons
Prairie Burrowing Crayfish
North Carolina’s Remnant Grasslands
Staggering Levels of Biodiversity
“The Last of Its Kind” Suther Prairie, near 52 CharloPe, NC in 1 m2 species
Longleaf Pine Savanna Green Swamp, NC Photo by: Reed Noss
Status of North Carolina’s Grasslands I. Threatened
Old Growth Grasslands Roan Mountain Grass Balds, Mitchell Co., NC
Credit: Malcolm MacGregor Photography
II. Restorable Grasslands Former Shortleaf Pine Savanna
1000’s of acres of former savanna in forest
Seedbanks & rootstocks have persisted for decades
Rare grassland birds are returning
Powerline grassland, Van Buren Co., TN
III. FuncGonally ExGnct
Ecological  Collapse
History
Economics
Services
Vital for a mulG-‐billion-‐dollar outdoor recreaGon economy
Prevent loss of topsoil
horGcultural trade, landscape architecture, & seed sources
Water Quality & Flooding
Grassfed-‐beef & Biofuels
Carbon SequestraGon
“The Last of Its Kind” ecological Grasslands near Hayesville, Clay rCestoraGon o., NC
PollinaGon
Biodiversity
Renewed Interest in Grassland Conserva2on
Have we resigned ourselves to accept the loss of these once majes2c landscapes that are so cri2cally important to biodiversity, history, culture?
UnGl there is a coordinated effort to conserve, research, and rebuild them they will conGnue to slip into oblivion
The Southeastern Grasslands Ini2a2ve
23 States
There is Hope!
5 Lessons from Chicago
Lesson 1: Community-‐Led Conserva2on is the Way of the Future
Pioneer Cemetery Prairie
Lesson 1: Headquarters of Ci2zens for Conserva2on
Lesson 2: rebuilding from scratch
Tom Vanderpoel
Dwayne Estes Execu?ve Director Southeastern Grasslands Ini?a?ve
Jus?n Pepper Execu?ve Director Bobolink Founda?on
Lesson  2
Lesson 3: If we rebuild them, they will come....
Tom Vanderpoel Steward Ci?zens for Conserva?on
Lesson 4: Urban or wild, either will work just fine
Lesson 5 from Nachusa Grasslands: The Sky is the Limit
Lesson 5 from Nachusa Grasslands: The Sky is the Limit
Regional Coordinators
Regional Coordinators
www.segrasslands.org