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![NRCS This Week mast head](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090117151433im_/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/images/mastheaddshadow3.jpg)
Cooperative Brushland Conservation: Keeping the Sharp-tails Dancing
![a good brushland landscape adjacent to one of the landowners participating in the cooperative sharp-tailed grouse management projects — a combination of shearing and prescribed burning is used to keep the landscape open (NRCS photo)](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090117151433im_/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/images/brushlandlandscapemed.jpg)
a good brushland landscape adjacent to one of the landowners participating
in the cooperative sharp-tailed grouse management projects — a combination of shearing and
prescribed burning is used to keep the landscape open (NRCS photo) |
Thanks to a cooperative effort involving NRCS and the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR), conservation management of brushland habitat under both public
and private ownership is making remarkable progress towards restoring habitat
for the sharp-tailed grouse.
Using NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and MDNR private lands funds,
the agencies have coordinated 33 successful cooperative projects
on 2,230 acres of private lands and are looking toward expanding the current priority areas to include
additional sharp-tailed grouse habitat in Minnesota.
“The sharp-tail projects are important since their population has been declining
at an alarming rate for over the past half century and spurred the MDNR to list
them as a ‘species of special concern," says Minnesota NRCS State
Conservationist Bill Hunt. “The lack of fire, tree planting in open areas,
extensive land clearing for agriculture, and recently dividing-up large tracts of
land are primary causes of sharp-tailed grouse decline.”
“The cooperation of NRCS, MDNR, and private landowners has not only benefited
sharp-tailed grouse,” explained Bill Berg, a MDNR wildlife biologist. “If you do
everything right for sharp-tail habitat, you will have brushland
for up to 256 other wildlife species benefit from
our cooperative brushland projects in
northeastern Minnesota."
Roche Lally, a project
participant and president of the Minnesota Sharp-tailed Grouse Society has
noticed a definite increase in the numbers of sharp-tailed grouse where projects have
been completed.
Your contact is Russell
Kleinschmidt, NRCS soil conservationist, at 218-720-5209.
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