Earth Day Campaign 2025 - Saving ferrets & supporting Tribes

Native American Tribes manage fourteen percent of all remaining black-footed ferrets in the wild. Freezes of federal funding are jeopardizing their Tribal conservation programs.

Losing ferrets on all Tribal lands?

Tribal biologists from the Cheyenne River Sioux, Crow, Fort Belknap, Lower Brule Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribes are working to restore ferrets to Tribal lands. Recovering ferrets includes monitoring populations and managing diseases annually.

Frozen federal funds

Since Tribal endangered species programs receive federal funding, the current freeze on federal funding will eliminate some Tribal biologist positions and jeopardize efforts to recover ferrets on Tribal lands.

Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance (BNGA) is raising $50,000 in emergency funds to support Tribal efforts to recover black-footed ferrets

In 2024, BNGA received a $1.1 million grant to provide direct funding to Tribes for recovering black-footed ferrets but these funds have been frozen by the federal government.

As ferrets face ongoing threats from disease, the loss of funding means ferrets could perish and disappear from Tribal lands if funding is not secured to manage disease this spring.

The loss of funding also means several Tribal biologists will soon lose their jobs. Often, Tribes can afford to employ only one wildlife biologist for their lands. Without funding, some Tribes will lose the experts their communities depend on to conserve their wildlife.

Rallying for Tribes & ferrets 

On February 26th, Vox published an article that featured Shaun Grassel, BNGA’s CEO, citing the impact that the funding freeze will have on ferret survival and Tribal programs. Within 2 weeks, more than 300 people, all first-time BNGA contributors, together donated over $10,000 to support Tribal restoration efforts.

BNGA invites you to join this effort to save black-footed ferrets and maintain Tribal wildlife expertise on Tribal lands.

BNGA envisions Native Nations uniting to ensure the diversity of life in the Northern Great Plains flourishes for current and future generations

The purpose of BNGA is to ensure that Native Nations have the technical and financial resources to plan and act on the vision for their traditional lands and waters, which includes ensuring that:

• Tribal members thrive by sustainably stewarding and connecting with natural resources
• Grasslands and native wildlife are restored or enhanced
• Fish and Game Departments have the capacity to deliver conservation impacts at scale

Donate now to save ferrets & support Tribes