Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy in North Dakota Honored for Helping Restore the Sheyenne National Grasslands

MILNOR, ND — August 5, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy’s Rob Self recently received the Prairie Partner Award for his conservation work with the U.S. Forest Service in the Sheyenne National Grasslands of eastern North Dakota. The Forest Service’s Sheyenne Ranger District nominated Self for the award.

Self, a land steward for The Nature Conservancy in North Dakota, was recognized for his support of the Forest Service’s conservation efforts within the Sheyenne National Grasslands. He supplied equipment and materials in the restoration of Iron Springs, a degraded stream with high ecological value. He also provided personnel and fire engines for prescribed burns in the fall and spring; assisting the district in using fire to benefit about 8,000 acres in the past year and helping the Forest Service surpass its goal.

Self and his crew of Conservancy staff and volunteers also assist the agency with monitoring the endangered western prairie fringed orchid. Without their help, the Forest Service’s ability to assess the federally-listed wildflower would be more limited..

“Rob Self has been a wonderful friend to the Sheyenne Ranger District, and is very deserving of the Prairie Partner Award,” said Bryan Stotts, Sheyenne District Ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.

A Texas native, Self has worked for the Conservancy for nearly eight years in the Sheyenne Delta. He manages the Conservancy’s Brown Ranch and Pigeon Point preserves in Ransom County.

“I am honored to receive the Prairie Partner Award,” said Self. “The Conservancy’s work with the U.S. Forest Service in the Sheyenne National Grasslands is a great partnership because of the similarity in our goals and vision of a sustainable grassland ecosystem for future generations.”

The Prairie Partner Award and other National Grassland Management awards are given on an annual basis by the National Grasslands Council, a committee formed by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Resource Conservation Service. The awards recognize exceptional work by employees and external organizations on National Grasslands throughout the country.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.

Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy in North Dakota Honored for Helping Restore the Sheyenne National Grasslands

Rob Self conducting prescribed burn. Photo © Erik Anthonisen/TNC