As our planet starts yet another journey around the sun, I’ve been doing some reflecting. Change was undeniably a defining characteristic of 2025. But so was resilience—resilience in colleagues and friends, in conservation organizations
and agencies, and in our work together. The power of the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture (NGPJV) collaborative remains strong. I invite you to read the Partner Features in this report for examples of collective and resilient action from the South Dakota Grasslands Initiative, Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance, and Central Grasslands Roadmap—all conservation leaders in the region.
Collectively, NGPJV partners conserved 936,988 acres of grasslands making tangible progress toward slowing the loss of grassland resources. Al Eiden, Pheasants Forever and NGPJV Management Board Member, shared highlights from the NGPJV visit to Washington D.C., emphasizing the importance of showing up with a unified message. And Ken McDonald, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and an NGPJV Management Board Member, reflected on how partnerships are indispensable for achieving lasting conservation success. We truly are more resilient together.
Another example of building resilience is the NGPJV’s emphasis on innovation and scaling our collective work. In 2025, we facilitated conversations around building capacity and removing systemic barriers that are restricting our ability to conserve grasslands at meaningful scales.
We also hosted conversations around what rural community resilience means to conservation, with an eye towards better connecting the needs of our rancher-stewards of the grasslands and conservation investments.
The resilience of 2025 will carry forward into 2026. This coming year, we look forward to the International Year of Rangeland and Pastoralists with a focus on grasslands communications. The Central Grasslands Roadmap will be hosting a multi-national summit and the JV8 Central Grasslands Conservation Initiative will be translating biome-wide conservation goals for local
implementation. NGPJV partners will be leading and engaging in these motivational and impactful efforts. I am honored and humbled to be working with strong leaders on the NGPJV
Management Board and talented partners from around the Northern Great Plains.
Onward to another year of innovation and collective action!