The missouri prairie foundation (MPF), a 501(c)(3), was founded in 1966 by a small group of conservationists concerned about the degradation and loss of native prairie throughout the state of missouri

MPF has stated goals for the organization include the permanent protection of native prairie habitat and the need for greater understanding of the role of native grasslands in wildlife conservation, energy security, and carbon storage. Throughout mpfs history, with help from the U.S. Fish and wildlife service (service) and other supporters and partners, MPF has restored, enhanced, and protected many missouri prairies with the collective goal to steward and preserve the natural history of these habitats for wildlife and people. In missouri, sand prairie habitat is restricted to areas bordering the mississippi river in only the southeastern and northeastern regions of the state. High-quality sand prairies are among the rarest natural communities in the state and are listed as a critically imperiled in missouri. These sand prairies, which also encompass swale wetlands sand savannas, harbor numerous prairie species including migratory birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and butterflies. Due to land conversion, altered hydrology and sand and gravel mining, fewer than 1,000 acres of sand prairies and savannas remain. Remnant sand prairie today supports approximately 180 native plant species and many prairie dependent plants can aid in carbon sequestration, improved ground water, reduced erosion and other ecological services due to their deep roots. The focus of this project is to work jointly on mpfs sand prairie property, which will be enhanced, restored, and reconstructed and can also be used as a demonstration site for landowners. The goal of this project is to collaborate to restore and enhance habitat on mpfs sand prairie property. Sand prairie is so unique there are few species that can be obtained commercially. One of the objectives is to do a complete floristic survey of the site to get as close as feasibly possible to the original condition of the site. The next is to collect seed within and nearby the area to RE-seed during the reconstruction phased utilizing MPF volunteers and others. Funds through this cooperative agreement with the service will be specifically for enhancing, restoring and reconstructing mpfs sand prairie, an 80-acre site. We will work with the service to enhance 10 acres of sand prairie habitat, collect native seed and overseed 70 acres of sand savanna, establish 1 mile of fireline for prescribed burning, implement woody and invasive species control on 80 acres, restore a 1-acre sand prairie swale and conduct reptile, amphibian, migratory bird and vegetation surveys. PFW program staff will be significantly involved in working directly with MPF providing technical and cost-share assistance on practices to be implemented. Further MPF and PFW program staff will work together to identify adjacent private lands where the PFW program can assist landowners separately to restore additional native sand prairie habitat in the immediate area further reducing fragmentation.