Economic Impact of Cooperative Extension Efforts in Rangeland Management for a Northern Arizona Ranching Allotment

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s efforts in rangeland management bring together private ranchers, public land managers, and Extension agents and specialists to promote rangeland health, conservation, and preserve productivity and profitability for land users, basing management decisions on best available science. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Specialists were involved in a project to address proposed changes to a rancher’s grazing allotment permit on federal land in Northern Arizona

• The proposed reissuance of the 10-year grazing permit would have reduced the permitted herd from nearly 600 to 200 animal units (AU). This proposed reduction in herd size was avoided with the assistance of Cooperative Extension specialists.
• These changes were proposed to address declining rangeland heath, suggested to be a result of drought, fire, burros, and existing grazing management.
• University of Arizona Extension Specialists analyzed a 30-year rangeland monitoring dataset for the allotment including data on plant community dynamics and soil cover. They concluded that grazing animals (wild or domestic) were not the main causal agents for Standard 3 (Desired Resource Conditions) of the Rangeland Health Evaluation not being met. Rather, drought and persistent impacts from rangeland fire were concluded to be the more likely causal agents of declining rangeland health.