Rachel Bush
Grassland Strategy Director, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
Bismarck, ND
Rachel Bush Rachel Bush is the Grassland Strategy Director for the Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota chapter of The Nature Conservancy. © Rachel Bush
Areas of Expertise
Grassland Protection, Grassland Restoration, Private Lands Conservation, Agriculture
Biography
Rachel Bush is the Grassland Strategy Director for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. As Grassland Strategy Director, Rachel oversees the chapter’s work in grasslands. However, a focus for Rachel is growing and implementing protection and improved management strategies across the Dakotas. Rachel also works closely with partners to advance policy impacting grasslands. Rachel has guided protection and improved management strategies that protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and enable resilient ranching and rural communities, all key factors in retaining grasslands.
Rachel represents The Nature Conservancy on the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Management Board. Board members provide broad oversight, support and guidance for the PPJV. As part of the Management Board Rachel works at local, regional and national levels in matters of land conservation, science, policy, funding and legislative issues that may impact the partnership.
Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, Rachel spent 17 years working in voluntary private lands conservation most recently as national private lands program manager for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. While there, Rachel built a strong program in North Dakota that focused on building meaningful partnerships to achieve conservation on privately owned grasslands. Rachel also was instrumental in developing programs that introduced new audiences to the outdoors and helped lead efforts towards diversity, equity and inclusion.
Rachel holds a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and a M.S. in Zoology from North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Rachel lives in Bismarck, North Dakota and enjoys spending time outdoors walking the prairie with her husband, daughter and two bird dogs.
Our grassland work
North Dakota Prescribed Fire Cooperative
A collective of agencies and nonprofits have banded together to change the culture around prescribed fire in North Dakota.
Ranching for a Better Life
How one historic ranching family turned over a new leaf to improve the health of their land and the quality of their lives.
Climate-Proofing Our Prairies
We know that species diversity is critical to successful restoration work. But when it comes to grassland management, what we’re not talking about enough lies even further beneath the surface.