Evaluating the role of Farm Bill conservation program participation in conserving America’s grasslands

Grasslands are one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world and the majority of the grassland ecosystem in the United States (U.S.) is privately owned and used for agriculture. Conversion of grasslands to row crops is expanding, fueled by commodity price increases, technological improvements, and agricultural policy. The U.S. state and federal governments and many nongovernmental conservation organizations primarily use voluntary incentive-based conservation programs to address the environmental impacts of agriculture and encourage conservation on private land. To investigate the utility of these programs to conserve grasslands, we surveyed private landowners in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Ecoregion (PPPE), one of America’s most at-risk grassland areas, about their land use, environmental attitudes and values, and reasons for or against participating in a Farm Bill Conservation Program (FBCP). Agricultural landowners with large land holdings, who value hunting, and have positive environmental values, attitudes, and behaviors, were more likely to participate in an FBCP. However, FBCP participants reported having a smaller proportion of their land in grass than nonparticipants (29% vs. 35%). Additionally, a higher percentage of FBCP participants, compared to nonparticipants, reported converting grassland to crops (26% vs. 15%) and removing wetlands (20% vs. 15%). Financial considerations and a desire for autonomy limited participation. These findings signal the need for additional research and tools other than FBCPs to conserve the PPPE grasslands.