Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project Cedar Control on Native Grasslands will soon be underway in Charles Mix County, SD, serving the community and improving land quality.
This 5-year project is one of 17 selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and federally-funded through the NRCS conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The purpose of this project is to utilize prescribed burning and mechanical cutting to start controlling cedar encroachment and restore the river hill grasslands. Farmers, ranchers, and landowners within the project areas are eligible to apply for financial assistance. The final day to apply for consideration for this FY is January 6, 2023.
The NRCS conservation specialists and partners are coordinating these projects throughout the state. Through collectively focusing expertise and resources on the highest priority resource concerns in the highest priority areas, CIS projects can yield the most impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. The Cedar Control on Native Grasslands Project partners with the Mid-Missouri River Prescribed Burning Association (MMRPBA) and the Charles Mix Conservation District to directly benefit landowners. Project sponsors identified Eastern Red Cedar encroachment as a resource concern and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“Historically, the Missouri River hills were well-vegetated grasslands shaped by fire, but the removal of fire from this landscape left it vulnerable to Eastern Red Cedar encroachment. Our project aims to help landowners start controlling cedars and restore the river hill grasslands.” says Chelsey Beringer, NRCS District Conservationist, in Charles Mix County.
To apply to be a part of this project, please contact your local NRCS Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center, or contact Chelsey Beringer, NRCS District Conservationist, in Charles Mix County at chelsey.beringer@usda.gov or (605) 487-7501. For more information on the CIS in SD, or if you have ideas for a project, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/south-dakota/south-dakota-conservation, or contact Jeff Vander Wilt, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, at jeffrey.vanderwilt@usda.gov or (605) 352-1226.
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