MISSOULA, Mont.— The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners have awarded $197,340 of grant funding in North Dakota to benefit habitat stewardship and hunting heritage projects, the conservation group says.
RMEF directly granted $38,170 and leveraged an additional $159,170 in partner funding to benefit 17 projects in Barnes, Bottineau, Burleigh, Cavalier, Dickey, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Morton, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Stutsman, Towner, Ward, Wells and Williams counties.
North Dakota project partners include the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, private landowners and various conservation, sportsmen and business organizations.
“Invasive weeds crowd out native grasses and forbs that are vital to elk and other wildlife,” Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer, said in a statement. “This funding, in part, helps treat noxious weed growth across a 329-square mile project area. The grants also assist a number of different youth archery, shooting sports and other outdoor-related groups and events.”
North Dakota is home to 10 RMEF chapters and nearly 4,000 members.
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In Cavalier County, for example, RMEF and partner grants this year provided funding to treat 8,672 acres to manage the spread of noxious weeds choking out native vegetation on public and private lands in the Pembina Gorge region. The multi-phase project began in 2012 and targets an overall area of 211,000 acres of habitat benefitting elk, deer, moose and other bird and animal life. Weed reduction will also improve livestock grazing conditions and crop yield.
Since 1991, RMEF and its partners have completed 231 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in North Dakota to protect or enhance 56,011 acres with a combined value of $11.6 million and opened or improved public access to 33,148 acres.
A full listing of North Dakota’s 2019 grants is available at elknetwork.com.
