#337 | Bridging the Conservation Funding Gap: Helping Landowners Create Habitat That Lasts

Birdshot Podcast

Nick Larson

Leisure, Science, Sports, Nature, Hobbies, Wilderness

4.8 • 971 Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of The Birdshot Podcast, host Nick Larson welcomes back entrepreneur, conservationist, and upland hunter Greg Cronkhite. The discussion ranges from early-season grouse hunting challenges to Greg’s remarkable journey through conservation-focused land management and the launch of Habitat One, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing wildlife habitat. Whether you're a public lands enthusiast, private landowner, or upland hunter, this episode combines stories from the field with practical strategies for preserving and enhancing the land we all love. Greg Cronkhite is a lifelong outdoorsman, successful entrepreneur, and founder of Habitat One. Known for transforming 3,000 acres of farmland into a thriving wildlife habitat in South Dakota, Greg brings hands-on experience and innovative thinking to habitat development. Now focused on helping others improve wildlife landscapes, Greg’s new mission is to make conservation accessible, effective, and financially viable for landowners across the country. Expect to Learn The realities of early-season grouse hunting and how warm weather affects bird movement Greg’s personal transition from owning private land to exploring public lands and the joy of learning new terrain Why he started Habitat One and how it fills a crucial gap in conservation funding Barriers landowners face when considering habitat projects and how Habitat One helps them say “yes” Opportunities to get involved: from volunteering to donations and joining as a Landowner Benefit Advocate Episode Breakdown with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction [02:41] - Warm Weather & Slow Grouse Hunts [13:30] - Trading Familiarity for Adventure [20:41] - From Retirement to Re-Focus [27:21] - The CRP Aha Moment [31:10] - Starting Habitat One [36:38] - Join the Mission: Landowner Benefit Advocates [40:39] - Ongoing Projects [46:50] - Challenges and barriers with CRP [49:43] - The Habitat One Vision. Follow the Guest Greg: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-cronkhite-b6131613/ Website: https://habitat-one.org/ Follow the Host Nick: Instagram: @birdshot.podcast Website: www.birdshotpodcast.com Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcast SUPPORT | http://www.patreon.com/birdshotUse Promo Code | BSP20 to save 20% on https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app Use Promo Code | BS10 to save 10% on https://trulockchokes.com/ The Birdshot Podcast is Presented By: https://www.onxmaps.com/

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're losing way too much out there as far as habitat. It's going away. It's super hard for a lot of these guys to make ends meet with the kind of equipment purchases they've got to make.
0:09.3	They can't take a piece of ground and take $70 off the table just because they like wildlife. Most of them just financially can't do it.
0:16.6	It's not getting easier, not with what's going on in the federal government, to get federal funding
0:21.8	and state funds.
0:22.7	I hear about people talk about CRP in the 90s.
0:25.9	Are there still those challenges, those barriers?
0:28.1	Where do you get those edge cases where somebody is on board with improving wildlife habitat
0:33.0	but can't make the dollars and cents work?
0:35.4	What we decided is let's start an organization that will raise money that's only going to go
0:41.3	into habitat projects.
0:43.0	We have actually three projects going.
0:45.3	We've got a food plot program.
0:46.9	We have a grass program and we have a tree program.
0:49.4	I think it's very important that we have these programs.
0:51.9	What does success look like on an individual project level? Is it filling in that marginal ground? So it's really going to come down to... Do you. Come here, Abby.
1:12.6	Good girl, sweetie. That's a big bird.
1:30.1	That's a big bird.
1:33.0	Wow.
1:36.2	Hey, everyone.
1:40.6	Nick Larson here, host of the Birdshot podcast, the show that brings you conversations,
1:43.5	stories, and traditions from all across the uplands.
1:48.5	The Birdshot podcast is presented by OnXx Hunt and supported by folks just like you via our Patreon community.
	...

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