Conservation Ranching

Working with landowners to support better bird habitat.
Photo: Stacy Steinke

³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Certified Bird-Friendly Lands

³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. 

Why farmers and ranchers? The majority of grassland birds – whose populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the last 50 years – inhabit privately owned land. This is where we scale our impact.

Landowners voluntarily enroll in our program, and when they meet requirements centering on habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, they earn the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ bird-friendly land certification. Nationwide, more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Certified bird-friendly land. 

Consumers with an appetite for conservation support these bird-friendly habitats. A special package designation – the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Certified bird-friendly seal – lets shoppers know which beef or bison products come from these lands managed for birds and biodiversity. 

About Conservation Ranching
For Retailers and Institutions
For Retailers and Institutions

Learn why you should carry products that meet the desires of your eco-conscious customers.

Our Team

Julie Hill-Gabriel

Vice President, Habitat Conservation and Water Conservation; Interim Vice President, Coastal Conservation

Christopher Wilson

Program Director, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching

Farley Green

Marketing Manager, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching

Anthony Hauck

Communications Manager, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching

Thomas Schroeder

Senior Partnerships Manager, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching

A meadowlark stands in short, green grass.
Jacob Yetter Joins ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ as Conservation Ranching Program Manager for Kansas & Oklahoma
March 14, 2025 — ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching is a grassland program that works for birds and herds
A Loggerhead Shrike perches on a lichen-covered branch.
Paicines Ranch Deemed Bird Paradise by ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Bird-Friendly Land Certification
February 27, 2025 — ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Certified Bird-Friendly Land status recognizes grazing practices that are good for birds
Cattle are Catalysts for Grassland Bird Habitat at Wyoming’s Carter Ranch
February 19, 2025 — Home of Carter Country Meats earns ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Bird-Friendly Land certification
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Conservation Ranching and Kateri Partner to Advance Regenerative Ranching and Grassland Conservation
December 05, 2024 — Partnership expands incentives for ranchers to enhance bird habitats, boost biodiversity, and increase carbon sequestration
Birds That Depend on Grasslands
! Priority Bird
Bobolink
Blackbirds and Orioles
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Pheasants and Grouse
American Golden-Plover
Plovers