ranching

We provide scientific reports, project profiles, technical tools, videos, photos, field guides, and links that tell the story of how cooperative conservation is making a difference for working lands and wildlife across the West.

Great Plains Grasslands Framework in Focus: Wildlife Conservation Through Sustainable Ranching
News

Great Plains Grasslands Framework in Focus: Wildlife Conservation Through Sustainable Ranching

Dig into the Framework for Conservation Action in the Great Plains Grasslands ...
Montana Outdoors Magazine Article | The Herd and the Bird
News

Montana Outdoors Magazine Article | The Herd and the Bird

Magazine Article | This article originally appeared in the March-April 2020 issue of Montana Outdoors, the magazine of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. It is reposted here with ...
Western Working Lands Snapshot | Grasslands
News

Western Working Lands Snapshot | Grasslands

Join us for a new series focused on the natural history, wildlife, and people on the West's working lands. This innagural post focuses on ...
Sage Whiz Quiz | Ranching
Sage Whiz Quiz

Sage Whiz Quiz | Ranching

How much do you know about ranching in the West? Take this Sage Whiz Quiz and test your ranching ...
Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon For Wildlife And Livestock
News

Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon For Wildlife And Livestock

Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon for Wildlife and Livestock | Read how Stephen and Kris Ellis keep their family tradition alive and strong on the Circle Bar ...
Our Amazing Grasslands Video – The Conner Ranch
News

Our Amazing Grasslands Video – The Conner Ranch

New video highlights the Conner Ranch in Belle Fourche, South Dakota where Dan and Cindi Conner have worked with SGI and other partners to improve their ranch for sage grouse ...
1,800 Ranchers and Counting!
News

1,800 Ranchers and Counting!

As 2018 comes to a close, the Sage Grouse Initiative caught up with Tim Griffiths, NRCS’s Western Working Lands for Wildlife Coordinator, for a glance back and a peek ...
Oregon Ranchers Sustain “Heart Of The Desert”
News

Oregon Ranchers Sustain “Heart Of The Desert”

Maintaining an “emerald island” in the middle of the desert is no small task. Here’s how the Fitzgeralds do it on their Oregon ...
#FridaysOnTheFarm: Restoring Sagebrush Country With ‘Modern Wildfire’
News

#FridaysOnTheFarm: Restoring Sagebrush Country With ‘Modern Wildfire’

Through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI), private landowners across Eastern Oregon are volunteering to perform proactive conservation treatments on their rangeland to promote ...
Study Shows It Pays To Treat Invasive Grass On Your Ranch
News

Study Shows It Pays To Treat Invasive Grass On Your Ranch

An economics study from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon shows that the earlier ranchers treat cheatgrass, the greater their financial ...
BEEF Magazine | Thomas Brothers Make The Ground Better In Idaho
News

BEEF Magazine | Thomas Brothers Make The Ground Better In Idaho

By Brianna Randall | Partnering with the USDA-led Sage Grouse Initiative helps young ranchers improve the land for both sage grouse and ...
The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come
News

The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come

by Brianna Randall | Conserving our natural resources is one of the ways we can give back to our children, communities, and economy for years to come. And the gift that keeps ...
VIDEOS | Meet The Thomas Family, Sustainable Ranchers in Idaho
News

VIDEOS | Meet The Thomas Family, Sustainable Ranchers in Idaho

Watch short videos to hear how and why two young ranchers have put in place conservation practices that benefit the bird and their ...
BEEF Magazine | Rest-Rotation Grazing Helps Sage Grouse Survival
News

BEEF Magazine | Rest-Rotation Grazing Helps Sage Grouse Survival

Pastures that use Sage Grouse Initiative rest-rotation grazing programs produce plentiful bugs, which is a good deal for cattle and sage grouse ...
Ranch Conservation Partnership Thrives In Eastern Montana
News

Ranch Conservation Partnership Thrives In Eastern Montana

by Leo Barthelmess | Ranchers working with the NRCS and others are helping sustain and improve habitat in a way that also improves ranch ...
Keeping Water In Colorado’s Gunnison Basin
News

Keeping Water In Colorado’s Gunnison Basin

A collaborative partnership using innovative techniques to restore wet meadows in the Gunnison Basin is paying off for people and ...
“Ranching Gone Right,” Thanks To Partners Like The Nature Conservancy
News

“Ranching Gone Right,” Thanks To Partners Like The Nature Conservancy

As a valued partner in the Sage Grouse Initiative, The Nature Conservancy works with landowners across the range on innovative grazing systems, conservation easements, and ...
How Do Conservation Easements Work?
News

How Do Conservation Easements Work?

In Montana, landowners have partnered with local land trusts to conserve 2 million acres. Expert Lisa McCauley from NRCS explains why easements work for ranchers and ...
Rancher K.D. Leander Leaves A Conservation Legacy in Eastern Washington
News

Rancher K.D. Leander Leaves A Conservation Legacy in Eastern Washington

This late rancher's early adoption of range conservation practices encouraged his neighbors to also enroll in Sage Grouse Initiative programs. Learn ...
$8 Million Fund Created to Improve Water Quality and Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse in the Eastern Sierra
News

$8 Million Fund Created to Improve Water Quality and Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse in the Eastern Sierra

Both the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse and agricultural ranchlands will benefit from a just-announced $8 million USDA investment in California and ...
Kennedy Ranch Conservation Improvements Benefit Both Livestock And Wildlife In Utah
News

Kennedy Ranch Conservation Improvements Benefit Both Livestock And Wildlife In Utah

In northeastern Utah, the Kennedy family's land ethic and commitment to improving natural resources has led them to expand their ranch. Learn how SGI helped them install water ...
New Web-Based Tool Helps Save Sage Grouse From Fence Collisions
News

New Web-Based Tool Helps Save Sage Grouse From Fence Collisions

SGI's interactive web app now features a map layer that helps land managers prioritize where to mark high-risk fences to protect birds. This user-friendly tool allows ranchers ...
Getting Our Hands Dirty at the 6th Annual Sage Grouse Initiative Workshop Tour
News

Getting Our Hands Dirty at the 6th Annual Sage Grouse Initiative Workshop Tour

Last week, range managers, ecologists, and wildlife biologists gathered in Montana to learn from landowners what works for the bird and the herd. Check out the photo story ...
Rockin’ TD Ranch Champions Rangeland Conservation in Nevada
News

Rockin’ TD Ranch Champions Rangeland Conservation in Nevada

Tony and Diane Stobiecki partner with the Sage Grouse Initiative to improve habitat for wildlife and their ranch's bottom line by putting in place projects that improve water ...
Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming
News

Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming

Pat and Sharon O’Toole make their living by ranching on the sagebrush sea along the Wyoming-Colorado border. They raise sheep and cattle, sage grouse and trout, as well as ...
Montana Outdoors Magazine | “Ranching the Best Hope for Grassland Songbirds”
News

Montana Outdoors Magazine | “Ranching the Best Hope for Grassland Songbirds”

by Catherine Wightman | Ranchers manage their land to sustain grass production, which benefits bovines and birds on Montana's agricultural ...
Growing Spirit of Collaboration, Partnership & Innovation is “The West at its Best”
News

Growing Spirit of Collaboration, Partnership & Innovation is “The West at its Best”

By Jason Weller and Larry Selzer | This opinion article by USDA-NRCS Chief Weller and The Conservation Fund President and CEO, Larry Selzer describes how the Sage Grouse ...