Conservation Ranching

Working with landowners to support better bird habitat.
Photo: Stacy Steinke

±¬ÁϹ«Éç Certified Bird-Friendly Lands

±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. 

Why farmers and ranchers? The majority of grassland birds – whose populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the last 50 years – inhabit privately owned land. This is where we scale our impact.

Landowners voluntarily enroll in our program, and when they meet requirements centering on habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, they earn the ±¬ÁϹ«Éç bird-friendly land certification. Nationwide, more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Certified bird-friendly land. 

Consumers with an appetite for conservation support these bird-friendly habitats. A special package designation – the ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Certified bird-friendly seal – lets shoppers know which beef or bison products come from these lands managed for birds and biodiversity. 

About Conservation Ranching
For Retailers and Institutions
For Retailers and Institutions

Learn why you should carry products that meet the desires of your eco-conscious customers.

Our Team

Melinda Cep

Vice President, Natural Solutions and Working Lands

Christopher Wilson

Program Director, ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching

Farley Green

Marketing Manager, ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching

Anthony Hauck

Communications Manager, ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching

Thomas Schroeder

Senior Partnerships Manager, ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching

A Loggerhead Shrike perches on a lichen-covered branch.
Paicines Ranch Deemed Bird Paradise by ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Bird-Friendly Land Certification
February 27, 2025 — ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Certified Bird-Friendly Land status recognizes grazing practices that are good for birds
Cattle are Catalysts for Grassland Bird Habitat at Wyoming’s Carter Ranch
February 19, 2025 — Home of Carter Country Meats earns ±¬ÁϹ«Éç Bird-Friendly Land certification
±¬ÁϹ«Éç Conservation Ranching and Kateri Partner to Advance Regenerative Ranching and Grassland Conservation
December 05, 2024 — Partnership expands incentives for ranchers to enhance bird habitats, boost biodiversity, and increase carbon sequestration
A meadowlark sings while perched on a barbed wire fence post.
±¬ÁϹ«Éç and Heifer International Partner to Expand Conservation Ranching Program into Arkansas
September 18, 2024 — Bird-friendly certification aims to improve bird habitat & connect consumers to conservation
Birds That Depend on Grasslands
! Priority Bird
Bobolink
Blackbirds and Orioles
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Pheasants and Grouse
American Golden-Plover
Plovers