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Re: Do we need national legislation and/or a national organization?

Based on what has happened since the 2000 North American Prairie Conference,
where a possible national prairie organization was discussed, I doubt that we
have the person-power and/or money to create such an organization, at least
for now.  A formal or informal prairie coalition of existing organizations
might be more feasible, if some person or persons had the time/energy to do
the work of putting one together.    Working with existing conservation
organizations to make them more aware of prairie issues could be very
helpful.

An example:  one big concern of prairie people in the upper Midwest is the
frequent use of aggressive western cultivars for prairie plantings,
especially near prairie remnants.   Cultivars are frequently used in Farm
Bill programs.   There has been talk about trying to create some incentives
within the Farm Bill for using local-origin prairie seed, and some state and
local agencies/organizations are trying to use local seed for their own
plantings.  Yet when I contacted a staff person for a national conservation
organization, someone who was already working on prairie/grassland issues in
the Farm Bill in D.C., she was unaware that the genetics of prairie seed was
even an issue.  It wasn't her fault -- no one had told her.   She was
interested when she learned about the issue.   More contacts like that could
potentially make a difference, especially since some national conservation
organizations are already lobbying on national bills and rules that affect
prairies.

Also, if someone had the time and energy, it would probably be helpful to
make sure that federal agencies receive more prairie-oriented comments on
specific issues that directly impact prairies but don't get much press.  An
example was the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the
Conservation Reserve Program, for which comments were solicited nationally.
I'll bet few prairie people knew about the PEIS, let alone submitted
comments, but that program has a significant  impact on prairies and
grasslands.   If someone had drafted a prairie-oriented set of comments and
had contacted potential prairie-oriented organizations, such as state native
plant societies, Audubon chapters, etc., it might have been possible to get a
long list of organizations to sign and submit such  comments.

But doing that kind of work takes time, energy, understanding of the issues,
and a knowledge of when and how to comment.   I am trying to submit comments
and do similar things when I have time, but my time is limited.   I'm sure
the same is true of most of us.   I don't have a solution.  I can only say
that there is definitely useful political work to be done on behalf of
prairies.   A single change in a single federal law or rule can hurt or help
prairies all over the country, and the new Farm Bill contains examples of
that.   Farm Bill rules are still being put together, and those will have big
impacts too.   If people were to step forward who had time and energy to do
prairie political work, there is plenty to do!   (And thank you to those who
are doing such work already!)


Cindy Hildebrand
grantridge@aol.com
Ames, IA  50010


I saw old autumn in the misty morn
Stand shadowless like silence, listening
To silence.       (Thomas Hood)

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