MEDORA, N.D. — The North Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and partners recently sponsored a tour in the North Dakota Badlands, focusing on innovative strategies to control juniper encroachment and improve rangeland health. The tour, which spanned Medora and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, showcased various juniper control methods, including mastication, fire, and manual removal.
“We’re here to address a significant issue affecting our rangelands,” said Cara Greger, Western North Dakota Conservation Coordinator for the North Dakota Wildlife Federation, as she welcomed participants. “Juniper encroachment is a pressing challenge, and today we will explore effective management practices.”
Dr. Carissa Wonkka from the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center, who is conducting research on the juniper removal areas, emphasized the impact of juniper on rangelands. “One quarter of all U.S. rangelands are affected by juniper encroachment, costing producers $5 billion in lost revenues over the last 30 years,” Wonkka stated. “Junipers displace biomass, which is your forage. Fire has been assessed as one of the most cost-effective, scale-appropriate means of reducing woody plant encroachment, especially for non-resprouting plants like juniper.”
Read more from USDA here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/improving-rangeland-health-juniper-control-strategies-highlighted-in-badlands-tour
