Public lands grazing - Articles - Page 2

Cooperative grazing associations preserve their role in the beef industry

Finding reasonably priced summer grass for cattle can be a challenge, but some farmers and ranchers have long since grouped together in grazing cooperatives, both to help support the profitability of their livestock and to protect and maintain the land.

June 21, 2023

Bruce Derksen

Renting, leasing or purchasing grassland is often a complicated and expensive proposition. While many options are available, not all are practical or realistic.

Proposed BLM rule could change priorities for public lands

April 10, 2023

Tyrell Marchant

The U.S. Department of the Interior on March 30 published a proposal that could shift priorities on 245 million acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The rule would likely mark a sizable shift in BLM practices; according to an agency statement, it intends to put “conservation on equal footing with other uses,” which it says is “consistent with the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission.”

Stewardship you can stand behind

Two cattlemen’s partnership in building a better business for today and tomorrow

March 17, 2023

Callie Curley

Some may call it a trailblazing enterprise with a strong commitment to stewardship and productivity, but if you ask owner Jerry Huth, he’ll crack a smile and say it’s more of a “4-H project run amok.”

Finding the critical balance in the wildlife and livestock relationship

Maintaining the economics of ranching alongside the sustainability of hoofed wildlife (ungulates) is difficult, especially when these interests conflict. Cooperation and understanding are key, as multiple viewpoints and concerns can quickly tip this delicate balance.

February 16, 2023

Bruce Derksen

“Elk and other big game can be a positive or a negative for a ranch, depending largely on how they impact the bottom line. If a ranch is able to derive sufficient income through hunting, ecotourism or from government programs – such as the USDA Grasslands Conservation Reserve Program – then wildlife can be a benefit.”

Across the Fence: For the love of Pete

January 10, 2023

Marci Whitehurst

My husband’s grandfather went by the name Pete. It wasn’t his given name, and no one seems to know for sure where he got it or when it started. Pete was as amazing as they come: the perfect blend of gentleman, comic and hard worker. His kindness radiated out of his sparkling eyes.

Grazing to control fire danger posed by cheatgrass

Scientists at the University of Nevada – Reno have discovered that wildfire danger can be reduced through the application of targeted grazing in the dormant growing season by attracting cattle with feeding stations containing liquid protein feed supplements.

September 1, 2022

Mike Wolterbeek

Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass that has invaded vast swaths of Western rangelands, is responsible for much of the increasing wildfire danger in the Intermountain West. However, scientists at the University of Nevada – Reno have discovered that fire danger can be reduced through the application of targeted cattle grazing in the dormant growing season by attracting the cattle with stations containing protein feed supplements.

Western ranchers utilizing public lands receive good news

July 25, 2016

Sarah D. Baker

Many cattle producers in the Western region of the U.S. are dependent upon federal grazing permits to sustain their livelihoods. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has estimated that grazing permit holders account for more than half of the commercial cattle in the 11 Western states.