Assistance

^{A landowner and professional talking together a Minnesota prairie. © ColdSnap Photography}

Once your prairie stewardship plan is complete it's time to put your plan into action.

Cost-Share Programs

Several cost-share programs focus on prairie and grassland initiatives. Funding levels for these can change from year to year, and opportunities can shift with different conservation targets.

• Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) stay up to date with current program availability and can keep your name for future reference if programs later become available.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat on their land.
• Lands enrolled in a conservation easement or other conservation program such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) may have additional cost-share or assistance opportunities available.

In-Kind Trades

Another great support option is in-kind trades—when neighbors, friends or acquaintances help each other through trading services. For example, you could offer seed in exchange for the neighbor haying or burning a portion of your prairie to encourage flower growth prior to harvesting. Your prairie benefits from a disturbance and your neighbor gets seed for their restoration. The sky is the limit on creative trades.

The Minnesota Prairie Landowner Network, Restoring Minnesota-Practitioner's Network, and The Prairie Enthusiasts Facebook groups are a great way to connect with others across the state discussing prairie management and resources.