Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie Preserve

OKLAHOMA TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION PROJECT DESCRIPTION In presettlement times, the tallgrass prairie As early as the 1930s, the National Park spanned 142 million acres from Canada to Service recognized that tallgrass prairies the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved under the were not protected in a large enough area forces of weather, bison grazing, and fire. to recreate a functioning tallgrass Starting with European settlement, over ecosystem. Since the only sizable tracts 90% of the tallgrass prairie has been of tallgrass prairie could be found in the Location: converted to agriculture. Flint and Osage Hills of Kansas and Northeastern Oklahoma, subsequent efforts by the Na- Oklahoma The Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is tional Park Service and conservation located in the Osage Hills. The rolling organizations focused on these states. hills are covered by tallgrass prairie These efforts collapsed with the failure of interspersed with streams and post oak- a bill proposing a Tallgrass National Project size: blackjack oak savannas. The Preserve Preserve in Osage County, Oklahoma. 37,000 acres encompasses most of the upper portion of the Sand Creek watershed, and is buffered In consultation with an interdisciplinary by adjacent privately-owned cattle team of experts, The Nature Conservancy ranches. Some 500 to 700 plant species (TNC) realized that a tallgrass preserve Initiator: can be found in the Preserve. area should encompass a watershed, and The Nature should be large enough to support a Conservancy The Preserve is used for recreational genetically viable bison herd. In 1989 this activities such as hiking, photography, realization led to the purchase of the and nature observation. In addition, 107 Barnard ranch (a 29,000-acre parcel) by producing oil and gas wells are located on TNC. Additional acquisitions have since the Preserve. The wells are independently enlarged the Preserve to 37,000 acres. owned, and produce oil and gas in compliance with a contract with the After the prairie was allowed to rest for owners of the mineral rights, the Osage several years, TNC initiated management Indian Tribe. in 1993. The overall management goal is to restore the full complement of ECOSYSTEM STRESSES ecological processes. This involves the Fire suppression and prescribed burns recreation of the fire-bison interaction, that only poorly mimic natural fires may resulting in a dynamic landscape patch lead to woody encroachment or shifts in mosaic. Prescribed burns have been con- species composition. Cattle grazing, as ducted in a manner intended to mimic opposed to bison grazing, may also lead presettlement burn patterns. to a shift in species composition. Both Presettlement grazing patterns have been stresses used to impact the tallgrass replicated through the reintroduction of prairie on the Preserve, and still affect an American bison herd on an initial 5,000 neighboring properties. However, the acres of the Preserve. natural fire-bison regime is currently being restored on the Preserve. The threat of an accidental discharge of oil or salt water from oil wells poses a potential threat to the Preserve. ____________ 207 Ecosystem Management in the United States: An Assessment of Current Experience OKLAHOMA TALLGRASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE -- continued While the herd builds itself up, often. Finding a suitable tract of ment expenses will probably not be additional grazing pressure is high quality tallgrass prairie for sufficient to sustain the project. exerted by cattle on 24,000 acres. sale was a major factor in the Restoring and managing a large- success of this project. Also very scale fire-bison regime is a very TNC has worked diligently to gain helpful was the national attention expensive enterprise, requiring the trust of local oil producers, the that the project received, leading to perpetual institutional support. So Osage Agency, the Bureau of the raising of $15 million in private far, it has involved obtaining Indian Affairs, and ranchers. Non- funds. According to TNC, after the equipment and training for interference with oil production, controversial and unsuccessful prescribed burns, as well as cooperation in fire management efforts of the federal government to obtaining a bison herd and build- and wildfire suppression, and the create a National Preserve, only a ing a bison corral and fences. maintenance of a disease-free private fundraising effort by TNC bison herd have all contributed to was possible. Contact information: the development of this trust. Mr. Harvey Payne Furthermore, the expertise of the Director PRESENT STATUS & interdisciplinary team, the invol- The Nature Conservancy OUTLOOK vement of local people, and the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Although fire and bison have been tremendous dedication of many PO Box 458 reintroduced, only parts of the individuals has been very Pawhuska, OK 74056 Preserve are currently subjected to important. (918) 287-4803; (918) 287- these natural forces. These will be 1290 restored to the entire Preserve over Obstacles to Progress Fax: (918) 287-1296 the next 10 years. Although the $15 million fundraising goal was reached Factors Facilitating Progress eventually, this effort was not al- In this area of the country, large ways easy. Furthermore, the $3 ranches do not come up for sale million endowment for manage- ____________ 208.

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