Print PageAmerica’s grasslands are among its most endangered ecosystems, and livestock grazing is perhaps the most controversial use of the public lands. Social conflict and economic forces have pushed ranching operations into crisis, leading many to either sell ranches for development or overexploit rangeland resources. In addition to environmental degradation, this dynamic places at risk the detailed intergenerational knowledge of local ecosystems that is held, across the West, in ranching families. In an era of rapid environmental change, this local ecological knowledge is increasingly valuable in guiding nontraditional pursuits, including ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy production, and carbon capture. As the needs of the public change, and as the on-the-ground capacity of land management agencies declines along with public funding, policy must adapt.
Results/Conclusions
In the arid West, several ambitious efforts illustrate the promise of engaging ranching families and conservation organizations in novel partnerships that combine local ecological knowledge with formal scientific approaches to address emerging land management challenges. Together, these projects provide a test bed for science-based policy reforms that aim to diversify the stewardship practices and responsibilities of grazing leaseholders operating on public lands. I will compare and contrast three innovative projects, assess the nature and success of their efforts, and suggest new policy directions for enhanced stewardship through partnerships involving ranchers, land management agencies, and conservation organizations. Transforming grazing leases into “stewardship leases” could provide financial incentives for ranchers to stay on the land and diversify their work. By retaining local knowledge and a physical presence on the land, managers will be better equipped to enhance conservation and management of the diverse portfolio of ecosystem services flowing from public rangelands.
