Rangeland Ecology & Management
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1 Mining
Western rangelands are rich in deposits of minerals and fossil fuels. The states of Nevada and Utah house the world's largest mines respectively for gold and copper, while parts of Colorado, Wyoming… - Topic PageOverview Public and private land managers are often experts in managing their own ranches or the adjacent public lands. However, they may not have access to the latest science that can help them…
- Topic PageWhile the contents of NEPA reports are often complex and can take months or years to develop, the steps in the process of developing a NEPA document are always the same: A project is proposed, for…
- Topic PageTypically, the US Forest Service or the BLM will conduct an Environmental Analysis, or EA for range improvement projects or issuance of term grazing permits. An EA is required by NEPA, or the…
- Topic PageBecause NEPA is a regulatory process, the US Forest Service and BLM must follow standard procedures in developing NEPA documents. Understanding these procedures will help you know what to expect…
- Topic PageUnlike many federal laws, NEPA is specifically designed to incorporate public participation at every step in the process. This means as a US Forest Service or BLM permittee, you can and should get…
- Topic PageThe purpose of the NEPA process is to understand and evaluate the environmental impacts of activities carried out by the federal government. To complete the NEPA process, agencies need data to…
- Topic PageThis requirement allows ranchers to get directly involved in the NEPA process in a number of different ways and at different times. The outcomes of the NEPA process for a term grazing permit renewal…
- Topic PageRegulations for managing public lands come from other laws, notably the Federal Land Management and Policy Act, the National Forest Management Act, the Public Rangelands Improvement Act, and the…
- Topic PageIf you do not submit comments during the NEPA process, for example when an EA is published but before the final decision, or when a draft or final EIS is made available for public comment before a…
- Topic PageOnce the NEPA process concludes with a final EA or EIS and a decision by the agency, the process is over. Typically, the proposed action in the EA or EIS becomes the basis for the Allotment…
- Topic PageRangelands provide the greatest benefit to society when they are used for multiple uses rather than for a single purpose. Globally rangelands are used to raise livestock for food and fiber, harvest…
- Topic PageLivestock grazing is one of the most widespread and important uses of rangelands. Renewable plant resources provide forage for ruminant livestock like cattle, sheep, and goats; and the ruminant…
- Topic PageOverview Beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, more people throughout the western U.S. began to use public lands for a variety of purposes. Many of these new users had different ideas about what public…
- Topic PageThe demand for recreational opportunities on Western rangelands has skyrocketed over the past two decades. Hikers, birders, and rock hounds share the range with mountain bikers, off-road vehicle (ORV…
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16 Wildlife
Western rangelands provide habitat for over 3,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians, some found exclusively on these lands. This biodiversity resource inspires awe and… - Topic PageFollowing the end of the Civil War and the development of railroads linking western states and territories with eastern markets, the livestock industry in the western U.S. began a massive expansion.…
- Topic PageRangeland ecosystems are always changing. Succession is the replacement of one plant community by another. Succession occurs through changes in species composition, the abundance of species, and…
- Topic PageBoth the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau for Land Management (BLM) issue permits to livestock producers. These permits allow ranchers to use specific areas of public rangelands called grazing…
- Topic PageGrazing permits on state trust lands are similar to permits on federal public lands. Like federal public lands, a grazing permit on state trust lands is a privilege, not a right. Ranchers must renew…
- Topic PageGrazing fees are set differently for federal public lands and state trust lands. All federal lands, whether they are managed by the BLM, US Forest Service, or some other federal agency, are always…
- Topic PageBeginning in the 1960s, the public started to become more concerned about the impacts of agriculture on the natural environment. In addition, the public began to look to public lands for uses other…
- Topic PageIn 1969 Congress passed The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a deceptively simple statute which substantially altered the manner in which agencies of the U.S. government make decisions…
- Topic PageNEPA is only about five pages long, containing a statement of purpose and but two subchapters. The second subchapter creates the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), which oversees the…
- Topic PageIn 1978, eight years following the enactment of NEPA, the President's Council on Environmental quality (CEQ) released its formal regulations guiding agency compliance with the Act. Found in Title 40…
- Topic PageSometimes the present plant community on a site may not meet your goals for managing livestock, wildlife, or ecosystem health. An undesirable plant community may require human intervention, where…
- Topic PageOverview National forests, parks, wildlife refuges, national monuments, and state trust lands. Each of these land designations come with different rules and regulations that effect the goals,…
- Topic PageOverview This phrase accurately describes how all the lands under jurisdiction of the USFSand the BLM are managed: with the goal of balancing a wide variety of uses across a massive, complex…
- Topic PageWritten by Rachel Mealor and George Ruyle In this section, we will look at important aspects of maintaining and improving rangelands. The purpose of monitoring rangelands is to document change over…
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30 Topics
- Topic PageRangelands are important to American Indian and Alaskan Natives with an estimated 46 million acres of rangeland managed by tribes. These landscapes have agricultural, natural resource, and cultural…
- Topic PageWildfires rolling across the African savannah. A hunter calling in an elk on a mountain meadow. Mongolian herders gathering their goats for the night. Reindeer herds grazing on the arctic tundra.…
- Topic PageWritten by Aaron Lien, Assistant Research Scientist, School of Natural Resources & the Environment, University of Arizona Introduction While implementation of science-based management at the…
- Topic PageSustainability of rangelands and the communities that depend on them require that society and the values they place on various goods and services produced from rangelands are considered. In this…
- Topic PageIn this section you will find information on the various aspects of rangeland ecology. You will discover how water is the single most important factor determining the type and production of…
- Topic PageOverview Since the early 1900s, the federal government has regulated the use of forage by domestic livestock on its lands through the issue of grazing permits. These programs are administered by the…
- Topic PageOverview Public lands are lands held in trust by the federal government on behalf of all Americans. The federal government owns roughly 640 million acres, about 28% of the 2.27 billion acres of land…
- Topic PagePublic land management is highly complex. The USFS and BLM have legal mandates to serve as many users as possible while maintaining the long-term sustainability of public land natural resources.…
- Topic PageOverview At its height in 1867, the public domain of the U.S. comprised 1.8 billion acres of land. Between 1781 and 1802, seven of the original 13 colonies relinquished claim to 236 million acres as…
- Topic PageRanchers and land managers rely on thousands of miles of physical fence to manage livestock on rangelands. While permanent wire fence has led to improved rangeland condition in many places, wire…, Foundations of VFThe Basics of a Virtual Fencing SystemVirtual fencing (VF) is an emerging precision livestock management tool with multiple interconnected components. The Vital Role of High-…
- Topic PageOverview Beyond economic goals, many ranchers also value the culture of ranching and work to manage in a way that balances conservation of natural resources and livestock production. How do…
- Topic PageThe scientific exploration of the use and management of rangelands began in the early 1900s. Rangeland ecology and management is an applied science that was developed in direct response to the…
- Topic PageOverview As the population of major western U.S. cities has grown and surrounding rural areas have become more suburban, the users of public lands have changed. Ranchers are still important, but…
- Topic PageSince the turn of the last century the federal government has regulated domestic livestock use on its lands through grazing permits. Such practices began on the National Forests in the early 1900s…
- Topic PageNEPA comes into play whenever a federal land management agency, including the BLM or US Forest Service, considers making a decision or carrying out a project that could potentially impact natural…
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46 BLM & USFS
Overview The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)and the U.S.Forest Service (USFS) have similar missions. Both agencies are required to manage public lands according to multiple use, sustained yield… - Topic PageOverview In 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park. Protected for its unique natural beauty, it was only the first of what would eventually become a system of 419 national parks and…
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48 State Lands
Overview State trust lands are lands that were given to western states at the time of statehood for the purpose of generating revenue. While some states immediately sold most of their trust lands… - Topic PageOverview The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are managed to provide and sustain resources for a wide variety of users, from ranchers to loggers to recreationists…
- Topic PageOverview The difference between conservation and preservation missions of the federal land management agencies stretches back to their establishment in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Gifford…