“New research finds ranchers consider diverse factors in managing their land,”

Intermountain West Joint Venture

https://mailchi.mp/a971b22d5d78/new-study-highlights-ranching-decision-making?e=98839fa7e9

Conserving “working wetlands” is difficult without ranchers’ buy-in to solutions, however, the ranchers’ input is often absent from discussion. This study, published by the Intermountain West Joint Venture in collaboration with Virginia Tech, University of Montana, and Partners for Conservation, collected information from ranchers to find out what factors they consider in managing their land.

The Intermountain West Joint Venture’s territory covers a vast expanse of land that includes 11 states, westward from Colorado to California and north from New Mexico to Washington. The goal of the Joint Venture is to “strengthen partnerships for conservation across this territory, as they have identified that collaboration as the key to interstate conservation efforts. 

The Joint Venture’s study into ranchers’ management behavior was executed in the form of two “land-owner listening workshops,” involving extended dialogue between conservation professionals and various landowners. The in-depth conversation that took place was a testament to the inclusion of all stakeholders in a successful conservation effort.

This newsletter details various aspects of the study including firsthand insight from Intermountain West Joint Venture Coordinator, Dave Smith.

Read the full study published in Rangeland Ecology and Management here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155074241930106X?via%3Dihub

More information about the Intermountain West Joint Venture’s partnerships and conservation efforts can be found on their website: https://iwjv.org/