They brought a 'dead' farm back to life—and the wildlife returned in a way they never expected.

Chad and Jennifer Kunz took over their family property in central North Dakota in 2014, and found that a lot of its potential wetland habitat had been altered by decades of agricultural drainage. The couple decided to restore the land rather than continue trying to farm every acre, and by the time the US Fish and Wildlife Service documented their work, 83 acres of drained wetlands had been restored, and the couple had begun seeing pelicans, ducks, pollinators and other wildlife on the property.

The couple moved into a basic cabin without running water or a bathroom, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's account of the project, and their first challenge was to find a practical way to manage the property while also protecting its remaining grasslands and rebuilding its wetlands.Why so many North Dakota wetlands were drainedThe Kunz property sits in an area of the northern Great Plains called the Prairie Pothole Region, which is known for its numerous shallow wetlands, and these depressions hold water at different times of the year and provide breeding and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Agricultural expansion changed a big part of the landscapes during the 20th century, wherein farmers drained wetlands to create additional cropland, which was encouraged by government programmes that used to once supported drainage as part of agricultural development.

The 1985 Farm Bill introduced federal wetland conservation provisions that are commonly linked with the Swampbuster programme, and these provisions discourage the conversion of wetlands for agricultural production under specified conditions. The US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service also operates conservation programmes that help landowners restore and protect wetlands, with its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, for example, providing assistance for restoring and enhancing eligible wetlands. The agency identifies the potential benefits as wildlife habitat, improved water quality, groundwater recharge and reduced flood risk.The couple chose a long-term conservation agreementChad's father enrolled the land in the federal Conservation Reserve Program in 1987, and that Program supports conservation practices on agricultural land through arrangements that can protect grasslands and other environmentally sensitive areas. In 2018, the couple signed a grassland and wetland easement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, with the agreement being intended to protect the land permanently rather than rely on a shorter-term conservation contract.Restoration work began in 2019, and assistance was provided by the federal wildlife agency and funding partners, including the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust. The couple also made changes to the farm's infrastructure to support grazing, and installed more than nine miles of fencing, a cattle water well and three watering tanks. Chad and Jennifer leased the land to cattle producers and used grazing as an alternative to cultivating areas that were difficult to farm, while telling the US Fish and Wildlife Service that the arrangement made financial sense for their operation.Pelicans were among the returning wildlifeJennifer Kunz reported that flowering plants had spread through areas that used to hold murky water and sediment earlier, and also observed insects, pollinators and ducks. Pelicans were among the more notable arrivals, since their presence suggested that the restored wetland areas were supporting aquatic life, although the agency's account did not provide a formal wildlife population survey or quantify how many birds had returned. The couple also believed that they had identified a sharp-tailed grouse breeding display site, known as a lek, and male sharp-tailed grouse gather at these sites during the breeding season to perform courtship displays.Restored wetlands hold surface water and help replenish groundwater, and the Kunz family reported improvements in water storage on their property, which they linked to the needs of their grazing operation. The couple also enrolled the land in North Dakota's Private Land Open To Sportsmen programme, which provides public hunting access on participating private properties.