Great Plains Grassland Loss 2026: America's Vanishing Prairie

GREAT PLAINS 2026 America's Vanishing Prairie Grassland Loss Crisis 50 Million Acres Lost Since 2008 sustainabilityawakening.com

1 OF 10 The Disappearing Prairie 50 Million Acres of Great Plains grassland converted since 2008 That is an area larger than Nebraska 71 million acres total converted since 1995 Conversion rate: 1.2 million acres per year

2 OF 10 Why Prairie Is Being Destroyed Commodity crop expansion driven by: High corn and soy prices 2010-2023 Federal crop insurance safety net Ethanol mandate boosting corn demand Tile drainage making wetlands farmable No federal protection for native grassland

3 OF 10 Wildlife in Freefall Grassland bird populations down 53% since 1970 — the steepest US bird decline Monarch butterfly habitat 90% gone Swift fox populations critically reduced Bison: 30 million to under 31,000 wild Prairie dog colonies 98% eliminated

4 OF 10 Grassland as Carbon Storage Native prairie stores carbon UNDERGROUND unlike forests — making it fire-resistant Each acre stores 200-300 tons of carbon Converting 1 acre releases 50+ tons CO2 50M converted acres = 2.5 billion tons CO2 Equal to 5 years of US power sector emissions

5 OF 10 Water, Floods and the Prairie Native prairie filters 90% of runoff Corn-soy monoculture filters just 30% Prairie loss drives downstream flooding: Mississippi Basin flooding costs $20B/yr Prairie pothole wetlands hold floodwater 73% of prairie potholes destroyed

6 OF 10 Worst Conversion States North Dakota: lost 1M+ acres since 2010 South Dakota: 600K acres lost, record pace Nebraska: Sandhills facing plowing pressure Kansas: 75% of native prairie already gone Texas: Southern Plains fastest conversion Only 20% of original Great Plains prairie remains as intact native grassland

7 OF 10 Saving What Remains USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) pays farmers to restore grassland — underfunded Nature Conservancy: 12M acres protected Carbon markets rewarding intact prairie Grass-fed beef premiums incentivize ranchers 30x30 initiative: 30% protected by 2030 Outcome: needs $10B+ in funding to work

8 OF 10 How to Help the Prairie Buy grass-fed beef from prairie ranchers Support the Nature Conservancy prairies Plant native wildflowers in your yard Advocate for stronger CRP funding Support the 30x30 land protection goal Reduce corn ethanol demand by driving less

9 OF 10 A Crisis Without a Lobby Unlike forests, grasslands have no federal protection when converted to crops. There is no grassland equivalent of the Endangered Species Act for ecosystems. At current rates, remaining intact prairie will be gone within 30-40 years.

10 OF 10 Protect the American Prairie America's grasslands are its least celebrated and most endangered ecosystem. sustainabilityawakening.com US environmental news, data and action every week. Follow for more.