UCCE rangeland monitoring template helps public land cattle ranchers meet grazing standards

The Issue

Rangeland monitoring is a critical evaluation tool of management but is generally not done well enough, consistent enough, or with credibility to satisfy stakeholders and users of public rangelands. There is a need to teach and help implement effective rangeland monitoring in the intermountain region of northeastern California and the Sierra Nevada.

What Has ANR Done?

UCCE Advisors and Specialists worked together to conduct a collaborative rangeland monitoring research project in Lassen and Modoc Counties to measure annual grazing use to correlate with existing rangeland trend data. The monitoring methods findings were shared with US Forest Service and livestock grazing permittees as a template for the required grazing standards monitoring.

The Payoff

Shared data improved ability to meet standards

Public land cattle ranchers more easily and consistently met required grazing standards on the Lassen National Forest in 2016 season, as determined through observation and the data collected at 17 sampling locations on the Lassen National Forest. The expected long-term impact is the sustained meadow and rangeland function and ecosystem health along with economically viable ranches dependent on public land grazing.

Contact

Supporting Unit:

Lassen County
 
David Lile, County Director, Cooperative Extension Lassen County, dflile@ucanr.edu; Leslie Roche, Cooperative Extension Specialist, lmroche@ucdavis.edu; Ken Tate, The Russell L. Rustici Rangeland Water Specialist, kwtate@ucdavis.edu; Laura Snell, Livestock and Natural Resource Advisor, lksnell@ucanr.edu