Grazing Land Conservation Initiative

The Conservation of Private Grazing Land initiative will ensure that technical, educational, and related assistance is provided to those who own private grazing lands. It is not a cost share program. This technical assistance will offer opportunities for: better grazing land management; protecting soil from erosive wind and water; using more energy-efficient ways to produce food and fiber; conserving water; providing habitat for wildlife; sustaining forage and grazing plants; using plants to sequester greenhouse gases and increase soil organic matter; and using grazing lands as a source of biomass energy and raw materials for industrial products.

Mission

The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative mission is to provide high quality technical assistance on privately owned grazing lands on a voluntary basis, and to increase awareness of the importance of grazing land resources.

The GLCI is carried out through coalitions of individuals and organizations functioning at the local, state, regional, and national levels. The coalitions are livestock producer organizations, scientific and professional grazing resource organizations, conservation and environmental groups, state and federal natural resource and agricultural agencies, and other interested groups.

GLCI works closely with other NRCS conservation programs, such as technical assistance to private land owners.  One way that this technical assistance is delivered is through the Iowa Grassland Alliance.

• GLCI National Steering Committee
  Bob Drake
  (580) 369-2177
  Drakefrm@brightok.net
  
• ChairmanGLCI Coordinator
  Dennis Neffendorf
  Phone: (817) 509-3225
  501 W. Felix Street
  Ft. Worth, TX 76115-3494
  Dennis.Neffendorf@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov

Iowa Contacts 

• State Conservationist
  Rick Van Klaveren
  Phone: (515) 284-6655
  USDA-NRCS IA State Office
  210 Walnut Street Suite 693
  Des Moines, Iowa 50309
  rick.vanklaveren@ia.usda.gov

• GLCI Co-Coordinator – NRCS
  John Biar
  Phone: (515) 323-2480
  USDA-NRCS IA State Office
  210 Walnut Street Suite 693
  Des Moines, Iowa 50309
  john.biar@ia.usda.gov

• GLCI Co-Coordinator - ISU - Extension
  Steve Barnhart
  Phone (515) 294-1923
  Iowa State University
  2104 Agronomy Hall
  Ames, IA 50011
  Sbarnhar@iastate.edu