Reversing the downward trend of our grassland wildlife species can be accomplished by restoring native warm-season bunch grasses, forbs, and pollinator plants on tamed pasture or hayland

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has awarded a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program (CFDA 15.631) to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The purpose of this 5-year award is to incentivize private landowners in Texas to restore native warm-season grasses, forbs, and pollinator plants on tamed pastures or hayland. These habitat restoration efforts will aim to reverse declines in grassland wildlife species by improving ground cover, nesting habitat, and overall plant diversity to benefit migratory and resident birds, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators. TPWD will collaborate with USFWS to enroll private landowners into the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program and provide technical assistance. The broader public will also benefit from improved water quality, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, erosion control, outdoor education, and recreational opportunities stemming from the native prairie restoration work.

Such efforts will improve ground-level cover conditions, provide essential nesting habitat, and enhance the overall plant diversity benefiting numerous migratory and resident grassland game and non-game bird species, monarch butterflies, and other pollinator species. The pastures for upland birds (PUB) program will provide incentives to texas landowners whose goal is to convert exotic grass sites to native bunchgrasses and forbs. Texas parks wildlife department (tpwd and recipient) will work collaboratively with the U.S. Fish wildlife service (USFWS) to enroll private landowners into the partners for fish wildlife PUB program via sub-recipient landowner agreements. This program fills a niche for landowners that may not qualify for other cost-share programs supporting native grass restoration.additionally, adequately managed native warm-season grasses may provide suitable forage production and protein levels required for livestock. This program benefits landowners whose goals include habitat improvement for butterflies, quail, turkey, migratory songbirds, white-tailed deer, pollinators, texas horned lizard, other nongame wildlife, wildlife tax valuation, sustainable forage production, or preserving texas native prairie legacy. The broader public benefits from native prairie restoration through improved water quality, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, erosion control, outdoor education, and recreational opportunities. The PUB program will promote a conservation stewardship ethic through sub-recipient landowner agreements with private landowners directed at improving habitat for migratory wildlife and resident game and non-game species using areas enrolled in PUB. Habitat improvements are accomplished through conservation science which determines the best practices for managing land and water resources and determines adept management actions. The program supports tpwd and private landowners in improving the overall texas landscape to create outdoor recreational opportunities. Finally, through being a better neighbor with those closest to our resources the program helps to promote the efforts of our other conservation partners.