Cattle Grazing Expands Habitat Diversity on Wildlife Refuge
Nestled in the sweeping plains of north-central Montana, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,551-acre sanctuary that provides beneficial habitat for an array of wildlife. From the greater sage-grouse to shorebirds, waterfowl, and pronghorn antelope, the refuge serves as a haven for species that rely on the unique sagebrush […]
Water Weary Rancher Resourcefulness
How community and the internet set one rancher’s capacity to create ablaze. Birds chirp in no-man’s land. A tall red barn, weathered paint but no hint of a lean, stands as the beacon welcoming you into the yard of Paul Williams, military veteran and newly invested Montana landowner. For all the silence, his yard is […]
2023 Annual Report
To ease the migration of North America’s fastest land animal, collaboration targets fencing
Ranchers and conservationists along the Hi-Line and in Central Montana are using state research and federal funding to help remove man-made barriers to migration of pronghorn and other big game animals.
Modeling Cropland Conversion Risk to Scale-Up Averted Loss of Core Sagebrush Rangelands
Key Findings: Conservation easements on private lands are crucial for maintaining Core Sagebrush Areas where cropland conversion is a threat. When bordering public lands, conservation easements preserve an area 3.6 times larger than the easements themselves.
2022 Annual Report
Ranchers Benefit from Fencing Projects with Ranchers Stewardship Alliance
There’s been entire books written on the history of fencing in the West. The evolution of barbed wire, the impact fences had on the landscapes, and the range wars that ensued when fences first went up are all remarkable and fascinating stories that will forever stand in the history of the American West and the […]
Partners in north-central Montana are using RCPP to get conservation on the ground
On a bright May afternoon, Rich Roth lifts his gaze from the gleaming water at the bottom of a new stockwater tank to make out a herd of pronghorn silhouetted at the crest of a spring-green hill in the distance. Roth had just finished listing the benefits of the recently installed tank system to the […]
New waterline ensures cattle stay on the land and land stays intact
Grass is to cattle as water is to conservation. Ironically, that analogy could be shuffled in any order and still carry the same meaning. To conserve grasslands, it is critical to maintain the ability to stock pasture with cattle, and to do so, access to stock water is necessary. That is why groups like the […]
Seeds of Community
The Barthelmess Ranch near Malta, Montana offers a beautiful landscape of sagebrush and hardy native grasses. NRCS Montana and partner organizations have assisted the Ranch to create a sustainable grazing model that will help ensure the beautiful landscape remains for years to come.