Sheyenne National Grassland Hosts Helping Hands-On-Habitat

The Sheyenne National Grassland recently hosted the first Hands-On-Habitat volunteer workday, which was comprised of three Forest Service conservation organization partners, including the Dakota chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF), the North American Grouse Partnership (NAGP), and the Prairie Chicken Alliance. 

Twenty-five extra pairs of helping hands worked on the lush grassland habitat for a few hours on an overcast and cool Saturday. Volunteers from North Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, including several students from Valley City State University and North Dakota State University, showed up to complete grassland habitat restoration work. 

The volunteers mainly focused on cutting down smaller red cedar trees using a wide variety of hand tools (no chainsaws) in the Ekre Pasture, adjacent to the middle trailhead of the North Country Trail.  

According to Seth Owens, Pheasants Forever Education and Outreach Coordinator, the volunteers used non-motorized tools such as "loppers, brush saws, and axes, to cut, collect, and pile red cedars. Eventually the vegetation will be burned by [the US Forest Service].” Red cedars historically were managed by fire and natural grazing on the plains. As fire regimes have changed on the prairies, red cedars have begun to invade. “Woody encroachment from cedars is a huge threat to grassland habitats, and it is especially detrimental to our already imperiled grassland birds like Greater Prairie Chicken," continued Owen. 

The Sheyenne National Grassland is a natural range for pheasants, grouse, and prairie chickens; however, the woody vegetation has steadily encroached on the prairie, which also provides roosting habitat for bird predators.  

The spread of red cedars is rapidly advancing. "Birds and small mammals eat the red cedar berries and spread the seed" in their droppings, said Aiden McCarty, Sheyenne National Grassland District Ranger. "It's a challenge to keep up with. Once the red cedar gets sun and gets established, it just pops up all over. But thanks to volunteers, we are doing something about it." 

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The Hands-On-Habitat had also planned to gather native flowers and grass seeds to promote growth, but that task was mitigated by recent excessive precipitation. "Collecting wet seeds is challenging and so is finding a place to store them to dry out. So, we're just focused on tree cutting today, and look forward to that project in the future," said McCarty. 

"This is the first event of a hopefully long-lasting relationship between the Dakota chapter of Pheasants Forever and USFS. These opportunities to improve the habitat and condition of our collective national backyards are important," he said. "A common roadblock for habitat projects is finding access to places that will benefit wildlife and people. The [Federal land] that the USFS manages is a fantastic place to hold these events, they have the land, but not always the volunteers," he said.  

Owen Zarr, Valley City College student in the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences major, expressed his enthusiasm, exclaiming, "I'm lovin' this… I joined the Wildlife Club and heard about the greater prairie chicken. I got really interested and did some research... I've wanted to get into prairie restoration for a while. It's the least protected habitat in America."