Within the past year increased discussion has occurred about rates and patterns of land conversion in the Northern Plains, particularly conversion from native grass or rangeland into crop production. This discussion is driven by two concerns: (1) that this type of land conversion is becoming more widespread in the Dakotas and in the Northern Plains generally, and (2) that land conversion is reducing the amount of land available for both wildlife habitat and grazing. These concerns are expressed most strongly by advocates of wildlife protection and enhancement. Those concerned fear that landowners in the region will continue to convert grasslands to crop production, especially to corn production, as long as commodity market prices remain high. This report examines these concerns, focusing on the available evidence, which is limited, about rates and patterns of land conversion. It also presents additional questions on policy options that would respond to these concerns, most likely in the context of the 2007 farm bill. The issue of increased land conversion activity in the Northern Plains over the past year, with a particular focus on central South Dakota, has been brought to the attention of Congress through field hearings and constituent correspondence. Constituents who object to visual indications that more land is being converted to crop production view the continuing pressure to convert land in the future, and at a rapid rate, as the larger issue. On the other hand, agricultural production is market driven. Landowners are responding to higher market prices by converting grassland into crop production. Rising corn prices and the emergence of national policies that encourage additional production of crops as a domestic source of energy have created additional incentives for landowners to convert to crop production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently estimates that 90.5 million acres nationwide will be planted in corn during the 2007 crop year. These acres will come from several sources, including land that had been planted to other crops and idled land that will be returned to production; some portion of the expansion may occur in grassland that is converted to crop production, though exactly how much remains to be seen. Many forces that may be encouraging the conversion of land in the Northern Plains have intensified recently. The recent push for renewable energy from biofuels and rising market prices for corn since August 2006, as a growing portion of this crop is used as a bioenergy feedstock, appear to be providing economic incentives to convert land. Conversion also may be facilitated by advances in biotechnology that have led to the availability of herbicide resistant crop varieties, and the promise of drought-resistant varieties in the near future. Some assert that the availability of federal farm commodity support programs is providing farmers with additional incentives to convert land from native grass into commodity crops, protecting them from full financial loss if a crop should fail. This is discussed more under "" Issues for Congress ," below. Those concerned about conversion maintain that the major undesirable results that accompany land conversion in the Northern Plains are (1) native old-growth grasslands being disrupted or destroyed; (2) wildlife and nesting habitat being lost; and (3) land rental rates and sale prices increasing rapidly. Some landowners and producers would likely counter that this increase in production is resulting in (1) increased economic activity in rural communities; (2) lower federal spending resulting from high commodity prices; and (3) meeting the demand for a renewable domestic fuel supply. This report does not analyze these possible impacts, primarily because they are so recent that few data are available. Questions concerning changing land use, the amount of acreage involved, and where the change is located have focused either on the Northern Plains generally, or more specifically on parts of South Dakota where conversions appear to be concentrated. Significant conversions also may be occurring in other areas of the country. However, this report discusses only conversions in the Northern Plains. Data are limited, mainly because not enough time has passed to document these very recent trends in periodic surveys. However, anecdotal evidence from numerous sources suggests grassland conversion to cropland is being observed more frequently in the Northern Plains than in previous years. The actual amount of grassland converted to cropland (also referred to as "busting out" land) in the Northern Plains is difficult to ascertain. Following are summaries of three data sets that evaluate land use activities and changes at a state or regional scale. Each offers varying vantage points on this topic from different time frames, locations, and data collection and compilation techniques. Historical data from the NRI, maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), show that both pasture and rangeland had declined nationally within a two-decade period (see Table 1 ). Between 1982 and 2003, pasture land declined over 10%, and rangeland declined over 2%. During this same time period, cropland (cultivated and non-cultivated) declined by over 12%. Other land use categorized by the NRI such as forest land, development, water areas, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, and federal lands have all increased in acreage. According to NRI data, between 1997 and 2003, the national net decline in grazing land acreage was about 1%, or 1 million acres, per year. For the Missouri River Basin (where the Northern Plains are centered) the NRI reports a decline of 1.3 million acres in pasture and rangeland between 1992 and 2003 (see Figure 1 ). However, the most recent NRI data are four years old (information beyond 2003 has not been released). Considering the recent emergence of accelerated grassland conversion concerns, especially during the past year, the NRI data provide a relevant historical base for comparison at a national (and river basin) scale, but are not very helpful for either the time period or the scale of this topic. Recent statistics have been obtained through a newly created database maintained by three states within USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). FSA administers the federal farm commodity support programs. As part of that responsibility, it collects data about land use and land use changes for the purpose of tracking commodity planting trends. FSA recently began recording new cropland acres broken from pasture and rangeland in a "new breakings" spreadsheet in three states. In South Dakota and North Dakota, FSA began collecting this information in 2002, and in Montana, it began collecting similar information in 2005. Table 2 presents statewide acreage totals in these three states in 2005 and 2006. Due to the inconsistency of information reported, the table only highlights the years in which confirmable data are available. Although participation rates in FSA programs are relatively high, it should be noted that FSA collects information on the past use of land only where program payments are being made for the first time. Therefore, this information could potentially under-represent the total of converted grassland, assuming not all acres converted would necessarily enroll in commodity payment programs with FSA. Because the data are so limited and span only two consecutive years, speculations on the future rate of conversion using this data could be inconclusive. Some who have raised concerns about land conversion fear that the amount of land converted in 2007, as identified in this survey, may be much greater. Others contend that additional plantings will come from other crops and idled land rather than conversion of grassland. Neither view can be substantiated with the current data limitations. Ducks Unlimited, a private advocacy group supporting the protection and restoration of wetlands and waterfowl habitat, in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks, and the University of Montana conducted research on land conversions in the Missouri Coteau region of central North and South Dakota (see Figure 2 ). The Missouri Coteau region is known for its unique mix of native grasslands and shallow wetlands (known as prairie potholes) that create a significant breeding area for ground-nesting waterfowl and shorebird species. The Missouri Coteau region is part of a much larger 300,000 square mile region known as the prairie pothole region (PPR). The PPR contains many small glacially formed wetlands that retain standing water for only a portion of the year in a relatively dry climate that supports grassland vegetation. The study observed and measured the noticeable land use changes over time using LandSat satellite imagery. The satellite imagery included photos of more than 65,000 forty-acre tracts of native grassland, from 1984 to 2002, in the area depicted in Figure 3 . The study concludes that 144,000 acres of native grassland were lost to cropland conversion between 1984 and 2002 in this region. Most of the conversion identified took place in the Hyde-Hand region of central South Dakota, where 56,960 acres were converted over this 20-year period. Though this information appears sound, the analysis area is concentrated within a narrow band running between northwest North Dakota and southeast South Dakota (see Figure 3 ) and therefore is limited in scope. Also, the Ducks Unlimited study, like the NRI data, concludes in 2002, excluding the time period of current interest. This section discusses three policy issues and their potential impact on land conversion rates and patterns: (1) the influence of commodity programs; (2) expiring Conservation Reserve Program contracts; and (3) the effect of conservation compliance (Sodbuster and the Administration's proposed Sodsaver). Evidence exists of the conversion of lands that have no previous cropping history. What is unclear is the role commodity programs play in individual decisions to convert land. Much of the attention brought to this issue has come from cattle associations and wildlife organizations (South Dakota Cattleman's Association and Ducks Unlimited in particular), which report grazing land and grassland losses in large numbers. Though the area of concern stretches across both North and South Dakota, the focus of concern as been for the central South Dakota region.