A Big Win for Grassland Conservation in Kansas
TNC adds nearly 1,000 acres to protect critical prairie habitat and strengthen long-term conservation at the Smoky Valley Ranch Preserve.
The Nature Conservancy completed the acquisition of 960 acres of short and mixed grass prairie directly adjacent to Smoky Valley Ranch Preserve, marking an important milestone in the long-term protection of one of western Kansas’s most ecologically significant landscapes.
More than 20,000 acres at Smoky Valley Ranch are now permanently protected. By connecting directly to the preserve, this newly protected tract closes a potential gap between conserved lands and strengthens the preserve’s overall integrity. That’s a big win for conservation in Kansas!
Smoky Valley Ranch is an example of prairie conservation in action, combining a working cattle operation with thriving wildlife populations and native grasslands. Set amid dramatic chalk bluffs, the preserve demonstrates how conservation and sustainable ranching can go hand in hand.
“Over a decade ago, I knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity to incorporate this critical piece into Smoky Valley Ranch," says Justin Roemer, TNC's Smoky Valley Ranch Manager. "Between the diversity of habitats, the connectivity to the ranch and the opportunity to restore over 200 acres back to native prairie, it checks all the boxes for the work we are doing at SVR. We’re thankful for the stewards who cared for this land before us and are excited to carry that on.”
This acquisition is both exciting and important for Smoky Valley Ranch and conservation.
Protecting Unique Wildlife and Critical Habitat
The newly acquired land tract is an important addition to the ranching operation that also includes important habitat for a wide range of grassland species, such as the lesser prairie-chicken, a species that depends on large, intact prairie landscapes. The tract also includes an extensive Niobrara Chalk outcrop formation, which provides a unique nesting habitat for the Ferruginous Hawk, a Kansas Species in Need of Conservation (SINC).
Additional animal and plant species include the mule deer, swift fox, pronghorn, and Great Plains Wild Buckwheat, a rare plant species found only on chalk outcrops in the region.
Protection of the Smoky Valley Ranch is also part of a larger vision, the Southern High Plains Initiative, which seeks to conserve a network of lands and waters across the region to boost climate resilience, preserve biodiversity and support ranchers and sustainable rural communities. The initiative spans millions of acres at the intersection of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Learn more about Smoky Valley Ranch Preserve and how TNC is working to protect Kansas’s remaining native grasslands: Discover Smoky Valley Ranch, A Haven for Grassland Wildlife in Kansas.
Make a Difference in Kansas
The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. For more than 30 years, we’ve worked in Kansas to do just that. We've permanently protected 161,000 acres across the state, including six preserves that are open to the public.
Explore More
At the Intersection of Art and Conservation
The Nature Conservancy in Kansas partners with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Linda Hall Library to explore the powerful connections between art, science and conservation.
Summer Seed Collection at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Helps Endangered Butterfly
Learn about The Nature Conservancy's work to protect the Regal fritillary through native seed collection and prairie restoration.
Spotlight on Grassland Conservation
The Nature Conservancy’s work is featured in the Kansas Reflector.