warm season native grasses

Native warm season grass and forb plantings offer important habitat for pheasants, grouse and many other ground-nesting birds. Diverse mixtures of native grasses and forbs provide high quality winter cover for pheasants and other resident wildlife. Native broadleaves and legumes attract large numbers of insects that pheasant broods depend on in the first weeks of life. This type of habitat also serves a host of other purposes for wildlife; including brood-rearing, nesting, roosting, loafing and escape cover.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) will cost share 100 percent of the seed and planting costs for native warm season grass establishment up to $125/acre.

  • A 10 year commitment is required by the cooperator to keep the grass seeding intact and undisturbed.

  • This project will establish or enhance native warm season grass plots 10-160 acres in size by seeding or inter-seeding.

  • Seeding rates must fall within the NRCS recommendations.

  • All areas are to be protected from livestock use and their effects.

  • Mowing and use of herbicides are only permitted for the controlling of weeds and are restricted to spot applications of 10 percent or less of the site.

  • Payments will be made upon project completion.

  • South Dakota law requires that reasonable public hunting shall be provided when habitat management funds are expended on private lands.

Grass Species Include:

  • Big bluestem
  • Sideoats Grama
  • Indian Grass
  • Little Bluestem
  • Switch Grass

Forbs Species Include:

  • Prairie Coneflower
  • Purple Prairieclover
  • White Prairieclover
  • Illinois Bundleflower
  • Maximilian Sunflower
  • Plains Coreopsis
  • Western Yarrow
  • Canada Milkvetch
  • Black-Eyed Susan
  • False Sunflower

Habitat advisors are here to help along the way. They possess the knowledge of federal, state and local programs to assist landowners in finding the right program(s) to meet their personal habitat and land use goals.