Get reliable rangeland science

Rangelands are a predominant land type in California, comprising 60% of the total land area and supporting the area�s most significant land use, livestock ranching.� In past decades throughout the west there was strong pressure from environmental interests to remove livestock grazing from public lands. Efforts were led by radical groups such as Earth First! with battle cries such as �No more moo by �92� and �Cow free by �93,� but the idea that western grazed land was damaged land was popularized by some ecologists and the media. From the 1980s and into the early 2000s, efforts to conserve special status species on rangelands often meant removing livestock ranching. In recent years livestock ranching has been shown to support biodiversity through grazing and associated rancher stewardship. This study evaluated changing perspectives of US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding endangered species conservation and livestock ranching through text analysis of federal register documents for 185 listed species in California associated with livestock ranching. Statements associated with livestock grazing in federal listing documents were recorded and categorized as being negative, neutral or positive towards grazing. Results indicated that at the time of listing, 1967 to current, grazing or trampling was listed as threatening 77% of the species with a ranching nexus; whereas, in current documents grazing is only listed as a threat for 28% of these species. In the majority of cases inappropriate grazing, which includes lack of grazing is now defined as the threat.� Further analysis reviewed that this change in USFWS�s perspective was a result of research findings, demonstration and in some cases failed conservation efforts after grazing removal.