Get reliable rangeland science

Numerous studies have documented the coexistence of two different ranching communities in the western US: ranchers motivated primarily by profit and those motivated primarily by lifestyle. While significant overlap between the two makes distinctions blurry, there seems to be a shift toward land owners motivated more by perceived lifestyle benefits than by making money on farming or ranching. Simultaneously, the percentage of income earned off-ranch has been on the rise, and, at least in California, the average size of grazed parcels has shrunk, suggesting a shift away from large, full-time ranches to smaller, part-time ranches. This talk will discuss what implications these changes might have for the continuation of California ranching, for the maintenance of privately-owned open space, and for different aspects of conservation on those lands. Data will be drawn from existing literature, from surveys of California oak woodland owners, and from a recent survey of landowners in the Sierra Foothills. The aim is less to present answers than to focus discussion (and future research) on existing trends and a specific set of questions and possible policy changes. The overarching goal is to maintain support for ranching and the continuation of privately-owned open space in the face of economic and demographic changes.