Reliable information documenting social and economic characteristics of public land ranchers is needed to help land managers and policy makers, responsible for administering the nation’s rangelands, to understand ranchers’ economic and social diversity, as well as the variations among their operations, and their contributions to local communities and organizations. To obtain this information, a national survey was administered in 2014 to gather these data, mirroring in part a previous survey conducted in the late 1990s. Data were collected to be statistically relevant at both the national and Wyoming state level. Cluster analysis was used to determine different rancher groups in both studies, and the rancher groups were then compared to one and other, and previous survey results, to identify sources of income, type and numbers of livestock, values that keep ranchers ranching, and participation and leadership in community organizations. Data analyses sought to evaluate similarities and differences among the groups of ranchers, and potential responses/reactions to policy changes impacting grazing permits, upon which many western ranchers rely as part of their overall operations.
Results/Conclusions
At the national level, data from a random sample of 1,911 public land ranchers were analyzed and 6 distinct groups of public land ranchers were identified across the United States. These groups include operations with less than 100 head of livestock, diversified agricultural ranchers, family cattle ranchers, corporate ranchers, sheep ranchers, and cattle and sheep ranchers. Positive and negative issues such as beef prices and environmental impacts affecting ranchers were also evaluated. High beef prices were the biggest benefit to ranching operations, and federal regulation and policy were the biggest threat to ranching on public lands. At the state level, within Wyoming, 4 rancher groups were identified. The most significant differences between Wyoming responses and national data were found in relation to the additional amount ranchers were willing to pay for range improvement practices, and non-fee grazing costs estimated by Wyoming ranchers versus ranchers nationwide. Rancher groups are diverse, and can be classified into different groups based on attributes identified through this survey, including values, income, livestock numbers, education, labor sources, type of operational organization, and otheres. Different rancher groups respond differently to federal lands grazing policies, making one-size-fits all approaches difficult. This information should be considered when making policy or land management changes.