Birds, Beef and Oaks: Market Incentives for Rangeland Conservation

Matt Allshouse/Pelayo Alvarez, Audubon California

California has roughly 40 million acres of rangelands that provide food production, carbon sequestration, water infiltration, and habitat for a wide range of species. However, this historic California land use is under threat with an average of 15,000 acres a year being lost to development or crop conversion. Climate change, invasive species, aquifer depletion, and outdated grazing practices also degrade large portions of grasslands, increasing economic and ecological vulnerability. This in turn has contributed to steep declines in bird species across the United States.

Audubon launched its Conservation Ranching Initiative (ACR) in California in 2019. This program is designed to stem the conversion of rangeland ecosystems and improve their ecological function through a ranch certification program. This presentation will highlight the ACR program components which includes the development of ranch-specific Habitat Management Plans and a third-party certified set of practices to improve bird habitat, enhance plant diversity and cover, increase water infiltration, and carbon sequestration, and increase overall biodiversity. This ecological resilience can translate to economic resilience, as participating ranchers are able to use the Audubon certification logo on their beef products – providing a market incentive through increased sales or revenue. This presentation will highlight program practices, challenges and opportunities as the program grows in California and the United States.