The South Dakota Grassland Coalition is a non-profit organization of individuals, private organizations, and local, state and federal entities. Our vision is a partnership of people working to voluntarily improve grasslands for the long term needs of the resource and its populations. Given the appropriate tools and training, grassland managers will be better prepared to make cost-effective and environmentally sound management decisions.

We are addressing the future of private grassland in South Dakota by:

• Promoting voluntary action and respect of property rights.
• Strengthening partnerships between grassland managers and others who support the objectives of the Coalition.
• Encouraging voluntary diversification.
• Increasing economic, social, and environmental stability on grazing lands.
• Closing the gap between the availability of knowledge and its application.
• Enhancing the landowner's ability to achieve great profitability on an ecologically sound and sustainable basis.
• Educating the public through the dissemination of scientific knowledge on the conservation and management of grazing lands.

Along with partnerships and youth education, the coalition supports the national Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, an effort to enhance the quality of technical assistance available to owners of private grazing lands.

The Coalition's goal is to provide local leadership and guidance in a cooperative effort, and provide information and technical assistance to grassland managers.

By focusing the collective power of resource management agencies, producer organizations, educational institutions, professional societies, environmental organizations, and private grassland managers, much can be accomplished.

To that end, the Coalition is a major partner in the Grassland Management and Planning Project. For more detailed information on this project, visit sdconservation.org and click on Grassland.

The Coalition also supports adult continuing education efforts, such as Bootstraps and Rangeland Days.

Board of Directors

Jim Faulstich
Chair

Dan Rasmussen
Vice-Chair

Larry Wagner
Sect./Treas.

Dale Boydston

Doug Sieck

Bill Slovek

Ellen Reddick

Sandy Smart
Coalition Coordinator

Judge Jessop
Project Coordinator

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