Second Century Habitat Fund, Inc.

PRESERVING HABITAT. PROTECTING HERTIAGE. INVESTING IN SOUTH DAKOTA'S FUTURE.

Why Our Work Matters

South Dakota’s grasslands are disappearing — and with them, critical wildlife habitat, healthy soils, clean water, and a way of life that has defined our state for generations.

According to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, 104,000 acres of grassland were converted to cropland in South Dakota in 2022 alone. That’s a powerful reminder of how quickly habitat can be lost — and how urgent it is to protect what remains.

These losses affect far more than pheasants.

Grasslands play an essential role in the health of our land and water. Deep-rooted native grasses help reduce erosion, improve water infiltration, build soil health, protect water quality, store carbon, and create resilient agricultural landscapes. They also provide critical nesting, brood-rearing, and cover habitat for pheasants, pollinators, grassland birds, and other wildlife.

When grasslands are lost, South Dakota loses more than open acres. We lose habitat, healthier soil, cleaner water, stronger working lands, and part of the outdoor heritage that makes our state unique.

That’s why the Second Century Habitat Fund exists.

CONSERVATION THAT WORKS IN SOUTH DAKOTA

The Second Century Habitat Fund (SCHF) is a South Dakota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to restoring and retaining wildlife habitat while supporting the landowners and producers who care for our landscape.

We believe conservation and agriculture can — and should — work together.

Through our Working Lands Habitat Program, SCHF partners with farmers and ranchers to establish and enhance grassland habitat on marginal, low-producing, or environmentally sensitive acres. By helping landowners put these acres into diverse grassland cover, we support habitat improvements that benefit wildlife while also contributing to healthier, more resilient operations.

Our work helps create practical conservation solutions that strengthen both the land and the people who depend on it.

WHY GRASSLANDS MATTER

Healthy grasslands provide benefits that reach far beyond a field boundary:

• Wildlife Habitat: Grasslands provide essential cover, nesting areas, and food sources for pheasants and many other species.
• Water Quality: Perennial cover helps reduce runoff, trap sediment, and protect streams, rivers, and wetlands.
• Soil Health: Deep-rooted grasses build soil structure, increase organic matter, and reduce erosion.
• Agricultural Sustainability: Habitat practices can improve stewardship of marginal land and support long-term working-land resilience.
• Outdoor Heritage: Strong habitat supports South Dakota’s hunting traditions, rural communities, and conservation legacy.

YOUR DONATION PUTS HABITAT ON THE GROUND

Every gift to SCHF helps turn conservation goals into action.

Your support helps us work with landowners, invest in habitat establishment, encourage voluntary stewardship, and create long-term benefits for wildlife, water, soil, and South Dakota’s working lands.

Whether you give because you care about pheasants, clean water, healthy soils, hunting traditions, or the future of South Dakota agriculture, your donation makes a real difference.

We cannot create more land — but together, we can change what happens on the land we have.

A LEGACY WORTH LEAVING

South Dakota’s outdoor heritage was built on healthy habitat, strong stewardship, and people who understood the value of the land.

Today, we have the opportunity to build that legacy forward.

Join us in protecting South Dakota’s grasslands and investing in the next century of conservation — one acre, one partnership, and one gift at a time.

Healthy Grasslands. Clean Water. Stronger Soils. Thriving Wildlife. A Lasting Heritage.