Get reliable science

Federal regulations such as the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act continue to challenge ranchers and land management agencies alike. Ranchers looking to succeed in the face of these challenges should seriously consider starting a rangeland monitoring program on their land and/or allotments. Rangeland monitoring programs gather basic information describing rangeland attributes (i.e., species composition, cover, utilization, weather, etc.) using systematic, repeatable methods. Over time, monitoring data can be used to determine compliance with state and/or federal regulations and to make ranch level management decisions. Rangeland monitoring is especially critical for those operating under grazing permits. As agencies are faced with their own challenges, the task of monitoring is being shifted to the permittees. Once started, a rangeland monitoring program is a long-term commitment of time and resources. The key areas selected then become the foundation of the overall monitoring program.