Mon, 19 Sep 2022 09:22:03 CDT
Hello Oklahoma! I am Brandon Bishop, the Acting State Conservationist for Oklahoma. As some of you are aware, Gary O'Neill retired and I am honored and humbled to have this opportunity to serve in this role. I am originally from Arizona but have called Oklahoma home for about eight years now.
NRCS is adopting a new approach, the Great Plains Grassland Initiative (GPGI) to address woody plant encroachment. This threat of plant encroachment puts pressure on working rangelands by decreasing livestock production and increasing wildfire risk as well as harming grassland biodiversity and increasing threat to animal species living in this biome. The initiative is part of the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) framework calling to conserve the last remaining iconic grassland regions in the Great Plains.
Producers in targeted rangelands are eligible to receive Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding related to addressing woody plant encroachment. Please contact your local NRCS office for assistance on this initiative and others that assist on your operation.
– Brandon Bishop, Acting State Conservationist
