This review looks at current management of western rangelands and notes that in most western states, big game and livestock competition is a subject of long-standing controversy. In Montana, the Beaverhead National Forest probably has the greatest potential for a public rangeland crisis. The Beaverhead Forest is currently drafting riparian area guidelines that will be implemented through revisions in allotment management plans, that focus on influencing livestock distribution. The reduction of AUM's on the Beaverhead will not be uniformly distributed across the forest, and the AUM reduction on affected allotments may be substantial. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and several other western state wildlife agencies were disappointed with this report because they believe it put too much emphasis on livestock/big game interactions and failed to discuss the importance of rangelands. They believe the best way to find common ground, build partnerships, and solve problems on federal rangelands is to develop allotment management plans, in concert with wildlife management plans, in an open process. In Montana, work is being done on a statewide elk management plan, with the goal of maintaining elk populations. Montana Department of Fish and Wildlife recognize that their elk management plan and the management plans for the various Montana National Forests may not be in harmony. However, a cooperative planning process will include the opportunity to constructively resolve most of these differences. Healthy rangeland, with its fundamental components of fertile soil, clean water, and healthy vegetation, is the basis for finding common ground on western rangelands.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.