Corteva Agriscience and NFWF Announce New Collaboration to Enhance Biodiversity through Sustainable Land Management Practices Benefiting Wildlife and Livestock Production

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 1, 2021) –The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new collaboration with Corteva Agriscience that will enhance biodiversity, improve wildlife habitat, and bolster soil health on grazing lands through sustainable land management practices. Initial projects include work to restore grassland habitat in Texas and Colorado through two separate programs, the Restore Colorado Program and the Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative. 

Corteva and NFWF share common interests in seeing grazing lands managed to maximize benefits for wildlife and agriculture. The nation’s grasslands are predominately owned and managed by private landowners for livestock production. By working with the ranching community, as well as grantees including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and the National Audubon Society, both Corteva and NFWF believe important progress can be made in improving the economical, societal, and environmental sustainability conditions of these landscapes.

“Biodiversity is the foundation of agriculture and our food system,” said Henri Moore, vice president, global responsibility at Corteva Agriscience. “Corteva is developing advanced technologies for sustainable land management that enhance soil health, provide biological pest control, and protect valuable waterways, while optimizing inputs and improving the livelihoods of our ranching customers. As part of our efforts to achieve our 2030 Sustainability Goals, we are eager to work with organizations such as NFWF to restore and preserve critical habitats in harmony with producing an affordable and abundant food supply to meet global demand.”

This relationship will support NFWF’s work to implement a variety of grassland conservation strategies through these two complementary programs. Funding from Corteva will help grantees in Texas restore up to 8,000 acres of brush-invaded dry mixed prairie, and in Colorado, will support ranchers working to improve grazing lands management on 56,000 acres, including installing 5 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing and restoring more than 6,000 acres of grassland. 

“Grasslands are a unique and immensely important ecosystem,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “This is true for the wildlife that have adapted to these wide-open spaces and for the ability to successfully raise cattle on the land. Today, NFWF is thrilled to have Corteva join us, and we look forward to working together to improve grassland management and conservation, including carbon sequestration, in order to ensure a better future for these exceptional lands.” 

Stretching from the rolling shortgrass prairies of the Great Plains to the crest of the Rocky Mountains, and into the canyons of the desert Southwest, Colorado hosts some of the most impressive landscapes and wildlife habitat in the country. At the same time, a rapidly growing human population and increasing demands on public and private lands has strained wildlife and their habitats in the region.

NFWF initiated the Restoration and Stewardship of Outdoor Resources (Restore) Colorado in 2020. The projects funded by Restore Colorado are designed to connect cross-jurisdictional, large-scale habitat restoration, expansion and improvement projects across five priority landscapes: river corridors, riparian areas and wetlands; Eastern Colorado grasslands; sagebrush; big game winter range and migration routes; and forestland.

The Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative (PWCI) is dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy rivers, streams and grasslands that provide important wildlife habitat in the Pecos River watershed of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. The fund was launched in 2017 to identify significant conservation opportunities that improve habitat, address water scarcity, improve water quality and engage local communities.

Since its inception, the PWCI has invested a total of $6.49 million in 34 projects that address three priority strategies: habitat restoration and management of riparian and grassland systems; species intervention; and species information. These projects benefit migratory grassland birds like chestnut collared longspur and Sprague’s pipit as well as pronghorn, and implement aquatic and riparian restoration activities that benefit Pecos pupfish, Pecos gambusia, Texas hornshell, Rio Grande cooter and Bell’s vireo.

Additional information for each program can be found at these links: Restore Colorado Program and Pecos Watershed Conservation Initiative.   

About Corteva Agriscience  

Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry - including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019 and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com. Follow Corteva on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 5,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $6.8 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.

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Contact: 
Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org