ozarks
roots
the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home
Conserving the Grasslands By Terry Ropp
Oklahoma-based preserve has 25,000 acres for bison and 14,000 acres of leased cattle range
The Nature Conservancy was incorporated as a nonprofit on Oct. 22, 1951, and focused on purchasing land for conservation purposes. In the 1970s, focus began including scientifically gathered information about the plants and animals in each preserve. Now the organization is dedicated to gathering and making science-based information public with many universities undertaking research. The organization and its affiliates have spread to each state and over 70 countries with more than 1 million members
10
protecting 119 million acres and thousands of miles of rivers. The Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, the only tallgrass preserve anywhere, became part of the Conservancy in 1989 with the lion’s share of the 40,000 acres coming from the Chapman-Bernard ranch. It is located about an hour north and a half and a bit west of Tulsa, Okla. School children across the country began fundraising and sending small checks to help pay for the preserve’s range while a rancher donated 300 bison. Recognizing the importance
of the everyone’s efforts, Gulf War General Norman Schwarzkopf said the preserve was “a gift from the American people to the American people.” Now 25,000 acres are set aside for free range bison with 14,000 acres leased as cattle range and the site of research projects. The Oklahoma Conservancy receives no federal or state taxes and is dependent upon income from a small endowment, leasing cattle grazing land and an online Buffalo sale whose goal is to maintain 2,250 head. The much funding, however, comes from individual and corporation
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
donations which also help support vital research because so much about the complexity, durability and flexibility of grasslands is unknown and will take many years to understand. An example is patch burning in the cattle area, an Oklahoma State University project. More than 200 scientific papers have been written on this unique preserve which is also a favorite with birdwatchers. Tallgrass land is even more endangered than the highly publicized rain forests with soil depth, fertility, rain, the degree of grazing and whether or JUNE 7, 2021
