Guy Property Acquisition & Restoration

Executive Summary

FarWide Conservation Trust, Inc. (FCT) is proposing to acquire and restore the 587-acre Guy property in Marshall County, South Dakota. The Guy property is located at the northern tip of the Prairie Coteau, an important part of the Prairie Pothole Region, the most important waterfowl breeding habitat in North America. The Guy property offers an exceptional opportunity to restore and protect wetlands and associated upland habitats, benefiting waterfowl and many other species of wildlife. FarWide Conservation Trust is seeking to raise $1.75 million to seize this unique opportunity and accomplish an amazing project. FarWide Conservation Trust is dedicated to the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat and the expansion of outdoor recreational opportunities today and forever.

The Conservation Need

The Prairie Pothole Region is the most important waterfowl breeding habitat in North America. The vast majority of waterfowl are born and raised in this landscape. The millions of shallow pothole wetlands surrounded by diverse native prairies that blessed this region provided perfect habitat for breeding ducks, other species of wetland dependent migratory birds, and many other wildlife species. Unfortunately, much of the original habitat has been lost, mostly due to conversion for agricultural purposes. In some areas, over 90% of the original wetlands and native grasslands have been drained, plowed, and converted to row crop agriculture.

To maintain healthy and abundant populations of waterfowl and other wetland dependent migratory birds it is imperative that we maintain the capacity of this landscape to support breeding ducks and other wildlife species by protecting wetlands and associated grassland habitats. The Guy property presents a unique opportunity to address this conservation need.

The Opportunity

The 587-acre Guy property is in northeast South Dakota at the northern tip of the Prairie Coteau, a range of hills that rises from the surrounding prairies and is dotted with millions of wetlands and shallow lakes. Like much of the Prairie Pothole Region, most of the original wetlands and grasslands on the Guy property were converted to cropland years ago. Fortunately, these habitats can be restored. The Guy property offers unusually significant opportunities to restore wetlands. Much of the drainage that has occurred across the Prairie Pothole Region has been focused on small, shallow potholes that were easily drained. On the Guy property, however, several large, “semi-permanent” wetlands have been drained through the construction of deep ditches. The Guy property offers an amazing opportunity to restore over one hundred acres of wetlands and several hundred acres of diverse prairie that will provide excellent habitat to waterfowl and many other species of wildlife.

A Plan For Action

FarWide Conservation Trust has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the Guy property. The current owner desires to see the property restored to wetland and grassland habitats that will benefit hundreds of species of flora and fauna. The owner has given FCT the opportunity to accomplish this project instead of simply selling the land to the highest bidder, which would almost certainly be an agricultural producer not at all interested in restoring wildlife habitat. The owner is leaving a significant amount of money on the table by agreeing to our conservation proposal. Once acquired, our habitat plan is to restore several hundred acres of prairie pothole wetlands and diverse grasslands. We will then place perpetual conservation easements on the restored habitats, ensuring these important resources will be available to breeding ducks and many other wildlife species in perpetuity.

The Financial Need

FarWide Conservation Trust has a goal of raising $1.75 million to accomplish the Guy Project.

We are respectfully requesting that you consider a gift to help us accomplish this extraordinary project and permanently conserve important prairie pothole habitat.

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Regenerative Agriculture in the Prairie

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Indian Butte Land Exchange Project