Ranchland Conversion

Rangeland ConservationPresented by James Honey,

Sustainable NorthwestNovember 15th, 2007

“Ranchland” Defined

Landscape being managed primarily for raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for the production of

meat, wool, leather, and other associated products.

Questions for Consideration

• What is the state of ranching in the West?

• What is happening to Western ranchlands?

• Who are today’s Western ranchers?

• Who will be “ranching” in the 21st century?

• What do we want to do about it?

Taking Stock

• The Interior West is about 640 million acres.

• Nearly 109 million acres are private ranchland.

• 300 million acres are public land.

Taking Stock

• Approx. 85% of the Interior West’s public lands are grazed for ranching.

• There are 3.2 million cattle raised annually in the Interior West, about 7% of the National total.

What’s Happening to Western Ranchlands?

• Difficult economics

• Land conversion

In the past 30 years, the population of

13 Western states has risen by more than 47%.

That’s twice the growth rate of the U.S. as a whole.

Economics of Ranching in the U.S.

• 80% of cattle is processed by four companies.

• 15% of feedlots feed 70% of cattle.

• Ranchers’ production costs are increasing while consumers’ food costs are decreasing.

• Only 5% - 30% of ranch value can be attributed to cattle production.

“Ranching is not efficient nor competitive; the rancher is not a

rational economic actor.”

Conversion of U.S. Ranchlands

• Ranches change hands all the time, they always have.

• Over the past decade there’s been a 1.6 million acre decrease in ranchlands per year.

• Of this 1.6 million acre decrease, 45% are converted to urban types of use.

“You either have to be rich or crazy to buy land

if you aren’t going to develop it.”

Who are today’s Western ranchers?

Traditional Western Ranchers

• Many are over 55 years old.

• Xxx

• Xxx

• Xxx

Many ranchers do not consider profit to be the most important goal

in terms of why they ranch.

Tradition, values, culture, generational inheritance, and

“a good place to raise a family”top out for most.

Demographic change

• Xxx

• Xxx

• Xxx

• Xxx

"Amenity-rich areas are growing and likely to grow more over the next decade."

FROM AFT>>> http://www.farmland.org/resources/rockymtn/documents/Strategic%20Ranchland%20in%20the%20Rocky%20Mountain%20West.pdf

Help Protect Our Western Heritage and Ranching Landscapes

- Support efforts to increase the profitability of ranching. Buy local beef, lamb and otheragricultural products. There is no ranchland without ranchers.

- Ranches produce a wide range of ecological goods and services. Supportconservation programs that compensate ranchers for growing wildlife habitat,

controlling the spread of noxious weeds and other ecosystem services.

- The ranchlands on this map are a limited regional resource. Promote efforts tohelp reduce the loss of the most productive ranchlands in the Rockies at

the state and local levels. This analysis is the first step.

- Promote stabilizing the land base. Encourage public finance efforts that keepranchland in production. State and local purchase of development rights programssuch as the Montana Agricultural Heritage Program and the Gallatin County Open

Lands program are critical for maintaining working landscapes in the Rockies.

Population and Land Growth in the Rocky Mountain West: 1960–1990.Land consumption data for Arizona and Nevada were unavailable.

• JAMES:• Link to Tanaka piece: http://agecon.uwyo.edu/WAEA/WEForum/WEF-Vol.4-No.2-Fall2005.pdf

• Also check this out…• http://www.farmland.org/resources/rockymtn/ranchmap.asp