Capturing potential gains from prescribed grazing as the result of increased cattle production requires the development of sophisticated models of cattle production dynamics. To begin filling this information gap, this study seeks to quantify and compare the impact on ranch profits from two prescribed grazing conservation practices: 1) rotational grazing and 2) rotational grazing plus rest. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers both technical assistance and financial incentives for ranchers interested in adopting prescribed grazing programs, so understanding how these practices affect ranchers’ bottom lines is critically important.
Ranch-level Economics of Prescribed Grazing:
- Overall Project Summary
- MLRA 8 Summary – Washington
- MLRA 10 Summary – Oregon
- MLRA 12 Summary – Idaho
- MLRA 25 Summary – Nevada
- MLRA 32 Summary – northern Wyoming
- MLRA 34A Summary – southern Wyoming
- MLRA 52 Summary – northern Montana
- MLRA 58A Summary – eastern Montana
- MLRA 58B Summary – northeastern Wyoming
- Ashwell, Nicolas Quintana & Maher, Anna T. & Tanaka, John A. & Ritten, John P. & Maczko, Kristie A. & Dyer, Holly & Kirkpatrick, Holly & Roberts, Kendall & Hilken, Thomas, 2019. “Ranch economics of prescribed grazing on rangelands: the case of representative ranches in Northern Montana,” Western Economics Forum, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 17(1), April.
- Cow-calf Enterprise Budgets for the Western U.S. 6-State Region (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming) (University of Wyoming Extension B-1332). This 216-page bulletin contains 36 budgets representing typical costs and returns for small and large, public and private land cow-calf operations in Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) 8, 10, 12, 23, 25, 28, 32, 34a, 52, 58a and 58b.
Economics for Sage Grouse
- Sustainable Ranching for Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation: A Rancher’s Field Guidebook (University of Wyoming Extension B-1216.2)
- SRR Sage Grouse Fact Sheet 2018
- The Role of Cow-Calf Enterprise Budgets in Evaluating the Economic Impact of Sage-Grouse Conservation on Rangeland Ranching Operations
Poster presented at the Society for Rangeland Management Annual Meeting
February 2018