Evaluating an On-Ranch Rangeland Monitoring Program in Nebraska

On the Ground
- Rangeland monitoring is an important component of rangeland management.
- The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition developed a rangeland monitoring program (RMP) in 2009 to assist livestock producers in monitoring rangelands on their ranches.
- Determining rangeland condition and fulfilling a requirement for conservation incentive programs were the most important reasons livestock producers participated in the RMP.
- Eighty-seven percent of survey participants indicated they had continued monitoring following the RMP and many indicated they had made management changes to their ranches.
- Monitoring is an important part of the adaptive management feedback loop. The RMP provided a resource to train producers in monitoring techniques. More tools to interpret monitoring data and increased follow-up by technicians may help producers better utilize their monitoring data.