Beth Beckers

It started with a “maybe someday” wish that I mumbled to myself as I closed an email from Integrity Soils about the new four month “CREATE” program on soil health coaching approaches hosted by Nicole Masters. This 22-week program was designed to train and empower agricultural consultants and coaches in the theory, principles and practices behind healthy, … Read more

In early 2021, Pheasants Forever (PF) successfully concluded a generous grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awarded via their Northern Great Plains initiative. During the three-year grant period, PF worked closely with the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) program, and the South Dakota (SD) Department of Game, Fish and Parks … Read more

Erin Fairbank is the new Conservation Programs Coordinator for the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture. With the NGPJV, she will be working on creating and maintaining partnerships, project collaboration, and overseeing funding programs. Erin has extensive experience working with habitat and bird conservation programs, agricultural operations, and is partnership-oriented. Her background includes over 20 years of … Read more

The State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative restores vital habitat to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals by enabling producers to establish grasses, forbs, and shrubs that benefit wildlife. SAFE practices must be used to address wildlife habitat that can be enhanced through the restoration of eligible cropland through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). … Read more

Even as Old Man Winter stubbornly holds his icy grip on the Northern Great Plains, the cheery chortle of the Western meadowlark heralds with enthusiastic exuberance and absolute certainty, the arrival of another prairie spring. Greeting the return of this well-known, yellow-clad crooner to its fence post podiums across North Dakota’s landscape, is a broad … Read more

Spring is a time of renewal and fresh growth. Keeping with the season, the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture (NGPJV) is poised to renew and grow our commitment to grasslands with fresh capacity and direction. The NGPJV Management Board and staff recently participated in a strategic retreat to define our path forward as a coalition. … Read more