McDonald's-backed grants unlock $99.1m for conservation across 100,650 US acres

McDonald's-backed grants have unlocked nearly $99.1 million in funding for conservation efforts across 100,650 acres of US land. The initiative, known as the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, is a partnership between McDonald's USA, several suppliers, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The six grants, awarded through the initiative, will help complete conserved easements on 31 properties in 11 states, including the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain West, and West Coast regions. These projects will permanently conserve more than 100,650 acres of grasslands while maintaining productive ranching operations.

The grants will cover transaction and due diligence costs associated with conservation easements, which are often a barrier to finalizing these agreements. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that limit certain uses of a property while preserving its natural, scenic, or agricultural value, allowing landowners to retain their private property rights.

The initiative aims to invest over $200 million to benefit grasslands, cattle ranching communities, and wildlife populations that depend on healthy soils, productive habitats, and plentiful water. Through this effort, grants will promote and accelerate wildlife conservation across 4 million acres of grazing lands.

Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, emphasized the importance of collaborative conservation in protecting America's grasslands and working lands. These projects aim to safeguard critical wildlife migration corridors and working lands essential to ranching livelihoods and thriving ecosystems.