Tanka Fund awarded America the Beautiful Challenge grant to support Native-led Buffalo land restoration
Tanka Fund has been awarded an America the Beautiful Challenge grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to support Native-led restoration and stewardship of bison-grazed lands in Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.
The award, designated for private forests, rangeland, and farmland, supports outreach and engagement with private landowners for voluntary conservation efforts on working lands. These efforts aim to advance the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife Framework and Initiatives.
Tanka Fund will conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to Native Buffalo ranchers. The project will use Working Lands for Wildlife frameworks and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to develop preparedness and conservation plans for 34 Native Buffalo ranchers. These plans will enhance access to Farm Bill programs and climate-smart practices, strengthening resilience and enhancing biodiversity on Native-managed grasslands, prairies, and savannas.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)—joined by the U.S. Department of the Interior through the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Department of Defense through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation—announced the 2024 round of funding with 61 new grants totaling $122.4 million. These grants leveraged nearly $8.7 million in matching contributions from grantees, generating a total conservation impact of more than $131.1 million.
The America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) encourages applicants to develop diverse, landscape-level projects that address priority conservation and restoration needs. The initiative aims to showcase cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife, enhance carbon sequestration and storage, engage and benefit underserved communities, connect people with nature, and safeguard ecosystems and communities through resilience-focused and nature-based solutions. Specifically, the ATBC funds projects within one or more of the following overarching themes:
Conserving and restoring rivers, coasts, wetlands, and watersheds
Conserving and restoring forests, grasslands, and other important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks
Connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes
Improving ecosystem and community resilience to flooding, drought, and other climate-related threats
Summary:
Tanka Fund has been awarded an America the Beautiful Challenge grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to support Native-led restoration and conservation of bison-grazed lands across six states. The project will provide technical assistance to 34 Native Buffalo ranchers, using the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife Framework and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to create conservation plans that improve biodiversity and climate resilience. This grant is part of the 2024 America the Beautiful Challenge, which awarded $122.4 million across 61 projects nationwide. These initiatives focus on enhancing ecosystems, supporting underserved communities, and advancing sustainable, nature-based solutions to climate and conservation challenges.
Key highlights:
Significant Funding Awarded
Tanka Fund received a NFWF grant to support Native-led restoration of bison-grazed lands.Technical Assistance for Native Producers
The project will help 34 Native Buffalo ranchers develop conservation plans using Traditional Ecological Knowledge and climate-smart practices.Focus on Biodiversity and Resilience
Conservation efforts will strengthen grasslands, prairies, and savannas while enhancing biodiversity and climate resilience.Part of the America the Beautiful Challenge
The grant is one of 61 awarded through the 2024 initiative, which allocated $122.4 million for landscape-level conservation projects.Collaborative Conservation Impact
The funding, alongside $8.7 million in matching contributions, supports a total conservation impact of over $131.1 million.
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