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When I talk to groups in Texas about the need for prairie conservation and restoration, I try to convey that prairies are a cultural and historical part of Texas heritage in addition to an ecological part.

Wandering Dave, on his blog, just reminded me of another piece of evidence: Deep in the Heart of Texas

The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas.

The prairie sky is wide and high
Deep in the heart of Texas.

The sage in bloom is like perfume
Deep in the heart of Texas.

Reminds me of the one I love
Deep in the heart of Texas.

– Deep in the Heart of Texas, 1941, by Hershey and Swander

Why am I publishing a prairie blog?  There are several reasons:

• Education: Ansel Adams said: "If no one knows the importance of preserving a beautiful place, that place is not likely to be preserved." Only by talking about the beauty of prairies and the need to conserve them will conservation efforts increase. I’m in Texas and outreach and education seem especially needed here.
• Motivation: So little native prairie conservation and restoration happens in Texas that I needed to hear about others’ successes to help keep me motivated.  I hope it will help motivate others also, because we need more people to get involved in prairie conservation and restoration.
• Networking: I hope others involved in prairie conservation and appreciation will post comments so we can get to know each other.
• Information:  Some examples: NPAT is constantly looking for native prairie remnants in Texas to add to our data, and to make friends with the landowners and tell them about the potential tax benefits of conservation easements.   We also want to connect conservation buyers (including my wife Lisa and myself) with owners of native prairies.
• Funding: I hope generous donors or foundations may read this blog and decide to help fund prairie conservation and restoration, in Texas and throughout North America.

I’m sure I will think of more reasons, which I will add later.  🙂

Recently, the Trust for Public Land outlined conservation related appropriations in recent bills in their 12/27/2007 edition of Washington Watch.  Some of these conservation programs that could benefit native prairie/grassland conservation and restoration include:

From the Omnibus Appropriations Package for FY 2008 signed by the President:

• Land and Water Conservation Fund: $154.339M
• State and Tribal Wildlife Grants: $73.83M

From the Senate version of the Farm Bill (awaiting a House/Senate conference and final version):

• Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP): $97M per year
• Grassland Reserve Program (GRP): $48M per year
• Conservation Easement Tax Provision (making permanent the expanded tax incentive for conservation easement donations)

Read more at the Trust for Public Land.  Also, the National Wildlife Federation has similar update related to the new Farm Bill.

Envision a green cemetery in the middle of a restored tallgrass prairie, with native flowers blooming in the spring alongside lush native grasses.  Could you imagine a more beautiful way to spend eternity while helping to protect and restore an endangered ecosystem and provide habitat for grassland birds, butterflies, and other prairie wildlife?

Sales of plots in the conservation burial ground would fund the prairie conservation and restoration at the prairie cemetery and an adjacent tallgrass prairie remnant.  A conservation easement or outright ownership by a land trust would protect both the prairie cemetery and the adjacent prairie remnant in perpetuity.

Flat headstones would allow haying or cutting the prairie cemetery along with the native prairie remnant along side of it that provides the seed for the prairie restoration.

Biodegradable coffins and an absence of preservatives would make the project further green.  A certification from the Green Burial Council would help assure families that ecological practices were being followed.

Could you fund or be a partner in a green prairie cemetery project?  Contact the Native Prairies Association of Texas if so!

From Science News Online: "It took less than a century after John Deere unveiled his steel-bladed plow in 1837 for the North America prairie to all but disappear. For 20 million years, a nearly 1,000-mile-wide swath of unbroken grassland belted the continent’s midsection from northern Canada to Mexico. Now, only about 5 percent is left, mainly as mixed and shortgrass prairie in the Plains states. To the east, less than 1 percent of the original lush tallgrass remains, most of it as remnants in pioneer cemeteries and old railroad rights-of-way."

The article highlights tallgrass prairie restoration efforts, diversity of remnant vs. restored prairies, bison grazing and increased prairie diversity, and the possible effects of climate change on tallgrass prairies.

The full article by Leslie Allen in Science News Online (from the week of Dec. 15, 2007; Vol. 172, No. 24) requires a subscription to the print magazine