Assessing the benefits of grazing land conservation practices

Excerpt

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) component aimed at assessing conservation on grazing lands was initiated in 2006.

“Grazing land” is a collective term used by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for rangeland, pastureland, grazed forestland, native and naturalized pasture, hayland, and grazed cropland (figure 1). Although grazing is generally a predominant use on grazing lands, the term is applied independently of any actual use for grazing. Grazing land is also described as land used primarily for production of forage plants maintained or manipulated primarily through grazing management. It includes all lands having plants harvestable by grazing without reference to land tenure, other land uses, management, or treatment practices.

Rangelands comprise approximately 40% of the landmass of the United States, including nearly 80% of the lands of the western states. Much of the rangelands in the west are sparsely populated, and conditions on that land are not well documented over extensive areas. Rangelands provide valuable grazing lands for livestock and wildlife and serve as a source of high quality water, clean air, and open spaces for the benefit of both society and nature. While rangelands occur in every region of the North American continent, they are the dominant…