The conservation practices championed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) have reduced threats to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in 90% of the species� breeding habitat. How livestock are grazed has changed on millions of acres of land across the western United States. Although these practices have resulted in positive conservation outcomes, this study is the first widespread effort to quantify their economic impact on ranch operations. We model cow-calf ranch operations of varying sizes from enterprise budget data collected from ranchers in the Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) where sage-grouse conservation practices are being implemented. The target MLRAs cover parts of Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Results are obtained through recursive linear programming models that are solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System. These models use a profit-maximizing objective function and are evaluated over a 40-year planning horizon. Economic outcomes of sage-grouse conservation practices are reported according to changes in grazing and livestock management, net present value of profits, and likelihood of annual operation losses.�Studies have shown that the recovery of the greater sage-grouse is correlated with healthier rangelands. Conservation efforts that lead to rangeland restoration could equate to increased forage production over time, which suggests the common motto �what is good for the bird is good for the herd�. However, the benefits and costs of grazing management to improve sage-grouse habitat at the ranch-level have not been analyzed. This study explicitly incorporates both the grazing limitations and the forage production benefits of conservation practices as a means to quantify net impacts. The results from this study will help guide decision-making among land managers and ranchers in the planning for sage-grouse conservation impacts at both the individual ranch and community level.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.