Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Inc

THROUGH COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION PROJECTS, RANCHER EDUCATION EVENTS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH THE PLAN IS TO BUILD CAPACITY ALONG THE “HI LINE” A RAILROAD IN MONTANA IN ORDER ACCELERATE THE DELIVERY OF CONSERVATION TO PRIVATE LANDS.

EXPANDED GRAZING SUPPORT FOR MONTANA GRASSLAND PARTNERSHIP

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO DELIVER ON-THE-GROUND RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECTS BENEFITTING WILDLIFE IN THIS SAGEBRUSH-GRASSLAND LANDSCAPE. FOCAL WILDLIFE INCLUDE GRASSLAND SONGBIRDS, SAGE-GROUSE, WATERFOWL AND MIGRATORY OR WINTERING UNGULATES.

CROPLAND FRAGMENTS GRASSLAND HABITAT AND ITS PRESENCE ON THE LANDSCAPE HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR POPULATIONS OF SENSITIVE OBLIGATE SPECIES INCLUDING SAGEGROUSE SONGBIRDS AND PRONGHORN JAKES 2015. NEGATIVE IMPACTS EXTEND FAR BEYOND THE ACTUAL TILLED LAND AND RESULT IN DIMINISHED HABITAT VALUE OF OTHERWISE INTACT GRASSLAND LANDSCAPES. THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM CRP IS THE LARGEST PRIVATE LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM IN THE U.S. HAVING ESTABLISHED MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PERMANENT COVER ON MARGINAL CROPLAND IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. HOWEVER BUDGET REDUCTIONS IN RECENT MEMORY HAVE LED TO DECLINES IN ENROLLMENT IN SOME AREAS. WHEN CRP CONTRACTS EXPIRE LANDOWNERS ARE OFTEN FACED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION. IN MOST CASES A REVENUE STREAM FROM THE LAND IS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY FOR OWNERSHIP TO BE RETAINED. BECAUSE CRP HAS A CROPPING HISTORY SOWING A CASH CROP ON THE LAND IS USUALLY A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND AFFORDABLE OPTION. HOWEVER IN SOME CASES LANDOWNERS ARE INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING PARCELS INTO NEW OR EXISTING LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS. OUR PARTNERSHIP WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THE CORE BY RESTORING PERENNIAL NATIVE COVER ON MARGINAL CROPLAND EMBEDDED WITHIN AND AROUND INTACT GRASSLANDS AND TRANSITIONING THESE PROPERTIES INTO FUNCTIONAL GRAZING SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND THE FABRIC OF THE GRAZING LANDSCAPE. THIS PROJECT WILL WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERSHIP AND RANCHER NETWORK TO RETAIN APPROXIMATELY 14260 ACRES OF HIGHLY VULNERABLE GRASSLAND IN EXPIRING CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATED LANDS AS PERENNIAL GRASSLAND COVER.

THE SAGEBRUSH-GRASSLAND LANDSCAPE OF NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA IS AMONG THE MOST INTACT IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY AREA FOR CONSERVATION ACROSS MULTIPLE AGENCY AND CONSERVATION PARTNERS. THE REGION IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY SPECIES INCLUDING GREATER SAGE-GROUSE, PRIORITY GRASSLAND SONGBIRDS, MIGRATORY WATERFOWL AND MIGRATORY BIG GAME SUCH AS PRONGHORN, MULE DEER AND ELK. OUR LOCAL PARTNERSHIP IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE RANCHING COMMUNITY IN THIS LANDSCAPE TO SUPPORT GRASS-BASED AGRICULTURE WHILE RESTORING AND ENHANCING HABITAT QUALITY FOR SAGE-GROUSE, BIG GAME AND OTHER WILDLIFE. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE SAGEBRUSH AND GRASSLAND HABITAT FOR SAGE-GROUSE, SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRDS, GRASSLAND SONGBIRDS, BIG GAME AND OTHER PRIORITY WILDLIFE IN MONTANAS NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. THE PROJECT WILL ENHANCE BIG GAME CONNECTIVITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS BIG GAME PRIORITY AREA D, INCLUDING BLAINE, PHILLIPS, AND VALLEY COUNTIES IN NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA. GOALS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH LOCAL LANDOWNERS AND MANAGERS ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS TO IMPLEMENT HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR FOCAL WILDLIFE SPECIES, WITH A FOCUS ON PRONGHORN AND SAGE-GROUSE.

NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA IS A STRONGHOLD FOR THE NORTHERN SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEM AND A CORE INTACT LANDSCAPE FOR MONTANA. IT IS HOME TO ONE OF THE ONLY KNOWN MIGRATORY POPULATIONS OF GREATER SAGE GROUSE IN THE COUNTRY. THIS REGION HAS LIMITED SURFACE WATER AVAILABILITY FOR LIVESTOCK AND GROUND WATER RESOURCES HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS DUE TO THE UNIQUE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA WHICH IS UNDERLAIN BY A THICK LAYER OF SHALE. STOCK WATER WELLS MUST REACH DEPTHS OF AT LEAST SIX HUNDRED TO NINE HUNDRED FEET TO ACCESS KNOWN GROUND WATER RESOURCES LEAVING WATER SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LARGELY OUT OF REACH FOR RANCH BUDGETS. CONSEQUENTLY GRAZING MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN LIMITED BY THE LOCATION AND SEASONALITY OF SURFACE RESERVOIRS. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED LIVESTOCK WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT FLEXIBILITY TO A REGION OF INTERMIXED BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ALLOTMENTS AND PRIVATE LAND IN NORTH VALLEY COUNTY MONTANA. IMPROVED GRAZING MANAGEMENT REDUCES LIVESTOCK IMPACT ON SENSITIVES AREAS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DEGRADED IN THE PAST. MORE INTENSIVE ROTATION AND LONGER REST PERIODS BETWEEN GRAZING CONTRIBUTES TO INCREASED CARBON STORAGE IN THE SOIL AND INCREASES THE OPERATIONS RESILIENCE TO DROUGHT. BY WORKING WITH LOCAL RANCHERS AND CONTRACTORS FUNDING CONTRIBUTES TO COMMUNITY VITALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

THE RANCHERS STEWARDSHIP ALLIANCE (RSA), A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT WITH A LONG-STANDING RECORD OF COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION, WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO IMPLEMENT GRAZING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS BLAINE, PHILLIPS, AND VALLEY COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. THIS LANDSCAPE INCLUDES SOME OF THE MOST INTACT GRASSLAND AND SAGEBRUSH HABITATS IN THE NATION, SUPPORTING HIGH-PRIORITY FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES SUCH AS GRASSLAND SONGBIRDS, SAGE-GROUSE, MIGRATORY WATERFOWL, AND UNGULATES. THE PROJECT AIMS TO RESTORE AND ENHANCE AT LEAST 360 ACRES OF HABITAT THROUGH IMPROVED GRAZING SYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE RIPARIAN AND MESIC AREA HEALTH, SUPPRESS INVASIVE SPECIES, AND OR TRANSITION MARGINAL CROPLAND BACK INTO SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND. THESE PRACTICES WILL BENEFIT BOTH WILDLIFE AND RANCHING LIVELIHOODS WHILE FOSTERING NEXT-GENERATION RANCHING OPPORTUNITIES. RSA WILL LEAD OUTREACH, COORDINATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION, WHILE THE SERVICE WILL PROVIDE PERMITTING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND MONITORING SUPPORT. EACH PROJECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED UNDER 10-YEAR PRIVATE LANDOWNER AGREEMENTS, ENSURING LONG-TERM CONSERVATION OUTCOMES. THIS EFFORT STRENGTHENS CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS, ADVANCES LANDSCAPE-SCALE HABITAT GOALS, AND DEMONSTRATES THE POWER OF RANCHER-LED STEWARDSHIP IN DELIVERING DURABLE CONSERVATION RESULTS ON PRIVATE WORKING LANDS.