In October 2016, the iconic land formation known as Little Jerusalem became part of The Nature Conservancy’s Smoky Valley Ranch in Logan County.
The 332.5 acres in Logan County known as Little Jerusalem is the largest Niobrara Chalk formation in Kansas. Today, these formations are host to 85-million-year-old fossils of clams, mosasaurs, bony fish and shark’s teeth. They also provide unique and important habitat for ferruginous hawks, cliff swallows rock wrens, green toads and many other native amphibians and reptiles. Little Jerusalem is home to the single largest population of great plains wild buckwheat, an endemic plant that is found in the chalk bluffs prairie of western Kansas and nowhere else in the world. With its breathtaking views and unique ecology, Little Jerusalem provides a tremendous opportunity to connect people to the wonders of the prairie.
When The Nature Conservancy acquired the larger Smoky Valley Ranch in 1999, it was the largest private land purchase for conservation in the history of Kansas. The opportunity to preserve one of the best remnants of shortgrass prairie in the state was one that couldn’t be missed. The ranch, which is situated between Oakley and Scott City, had a long history of livestock grazing, and under the Conservancy’s management it remains a working ranch. The plants, animals and biological processes that make a prairie a prairie simply cannot exist without grazing – whether by large wild mammals like bison and elk, or domestic cattle.
Although conserving prairie and maximizing its native biodiversity is at the heart of the Conservancy’s efforts, we do not take lightly our responsibility of stewarding the ranch’s historic, geologic and fossil resources. This working ranch is full of unique examples of how humans have relied on this land for thousands of years and continue to today; here, it is clear that the human and natural histories of a place are deeply interwoven. The incredible Little Jerusalem rock formations will be a highlight of the ranch’s diverse resources, taking visitors back to the days of the Smoky Hill Trail, to gaze in wonder at the rugged, awe-inspiring rocks and surrounding prairie.
“Securing this special place in western Kansas called “Little Jerusalem” is a career highlight, one that touches many people – those who live in the area, those who helped The Nature Conservancy acquire it, and even people who will never set foot on it. Sometimes we overlook the wild beauty and richness of this state and the Great Plains. This place called Little Jerusalem, and our adjacent Smoky Valley Ranch, stand as a reminder of how blessed we are to be here,” said Rob Manes, State Director.
In the coming year, The Nature Conservancy will develop public access to Little Jerusalem that ensures its preservation into the future.