Project Profile: Manage Invasive Plants in Northern Great Plains

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Invasive Species | FY24 - $480,000

Grassland in Badlands National Park.

NPS Photo / David Restivo

The National Park Service (NPS) will use an adaptive management approach developed with the U.S. Geological Survey to prevent, eradicate, and refine treatment methods for invasive grasses in the Northern Great Plains. The project aims to increase forage quality for bison and other wildlife, increase native plant diversity, improve pollinator habitat, increase climate resiliency, and refine restoration practices that can be broadly shared with other regions. Additionally, the Northern Great Plains Collaborative Adaptive Landscape Management team was established to support this project and grassland restoration as a whole.

Why? Over the last 150 years, native grasslands in the Northern Great Plains have been converted for agricultural use and other developments, planted with non-native grasses, and overgrazed to maximize livestock production, making them one of the most threatened ecosystems in the United States. In order to combat this threat, the NPS will help to restore and preserve the remaining grasslands and protect the benefits these ecosystems provide.

What else? Grassland ecosystem restoration and the health of our shared environment depends on strong partnerships, collaboration, and the inclusion of many experiences and perspectives. To support this, the NPS will partner with the University of Wyoming’s Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems to collect data on private rangelands and to assess the effects of herbicide treatments in Northern Great Plain parks. The NPS will also partner with the Bureau of Land Management to answer similar questions regarding invasive plant species and vegetation monitoring.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes critical investments in the resilience and restoration of America’s lands, skies, and waters, and enhances conservation and recreation opportunities. Visitors will see tangible results such as repaired and upgraded trails and campgrounds, removal of invasive species, as well as healthy wetlands, grasslands, and forests.