Near Lusk in Niobrara County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Stewards of the Grassland Prairies

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 7, 2016

1. Stewards of the Grassland Prairies Marker

Inscription. "Vast seas of grass as far as the eye can see", wrote the migrants traveling west in the 1840s. Before the plowing of "America's bread basket" native grassland prairies made up more than 500 million acres in the central region of the U.S. and Canada. Today about one-fifth of these prairies remain. Wyoming is unique with more than half of its area covered by sagebrush and grassland prairie. Large sheep and cattle ranches dot the countryside. Free-ranging livestock need large expanses of grassland prairies, so the prairies have been spared.
There is more than grass and sagebrush out here! The prairie also provides crucial habitat for many wild critters. Occasional conflicts between ranchers and prairie wildlife do occur. Without these large expanses of native prairie, antelope, sage grouse, ferruginous hawks and many other species of wildlife could not survive. A western culture has evolved around the native prairies, there capacity to provide food for people and wildlife, and as people who love wide-open spaces and the prairie landscapes.
Most people living on our native prairies have learned to understand and appreciate

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their role as stewards of the soil and water. This stewardship is essential to the well-bing of plants, wildlife and people -- a relationship worth preserving for the future generations!

Erected by Wyoming Fish and Game Department.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Natural Resources.

Location. 43° 22.746′ N, 104° 13.266′ W. Marker is near Lusk, Wyoming, in Niobrara County. It is on U.S. 85 near U.S. 18, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lusk WY 82225, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Wyoming’s Laramie Basin. It is also in the American Mountain West,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Along the Cheyenne to Deadwood Stage: Robber's Roost

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 7, 2016

2. Stewards of the Grassland Prairies Marker

(a few steps from this marker); Cows, Wildlife and Gold (within shouting distance of this marker).

More about this marker. This marker is located at the Mule Creek Junction Rest area on U.S. Highway 85, half-way between Newcastle and Lusk, Wyoming.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 617 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 28, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.