Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Pelayo Alvarez, California Rangeland Conservation Coalition Program Coordinator

California grasslands (c) Alan Vernon

In the Golden State, an odd alliance has taken root. Two groups with distinct (sometimes opposing) views of how land should be used are teaming up to work together: the conservation community and the state’s ranchers. Across California, there are more than 11 million acres of privately-owned rangelands — grasslands, oak woodlands and vernal pool habitats that a myriad of species depend on, including the San Joaquin kit fox, Swainson’s hawk and the California tiger salamander. Yet as valuable as all this land is to wildlife, those who own it are often under pressure to convert it to more lucrative land uses, such as urbanization and intensive agriculture. So long as a rancher owns the land, they keep the habitat intact while using it for grazing – a practice that is particularly important in California where grazing animals help keep invasive plant species from gaining a foothold in the native ecosystem. This means that the fate of this region’s biodiversity — its wildlife, plant life, and all pieces of this living landscape — is inextricably linked to private ranching.  By working with ranchers to help them stay in ranching and manage their land with wildlife conservation in mind, we can keep countless acres of habitat from being plowed up for crops or built into housing developments.

And so, the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition was born:  a broad and diverse alliance of conservation organizations, government agencies, academics and the ranching community working together to protect rangeland habitats in California’s Central Valley. Defenders is a founding member of this group of odd bedfellows that first came together in 2005 to curb the devastating effects that the conversion of rangelands to urbanization and intensive agriculture is having on species and habitats in California.

California Program Director Kim Delfino speaks at the 2013 summit.

The Coalition had its 8th Annual Summit at UC Davis last month, held in conjunction with the Rustici Science Symposium. The event brought together more than 390 attendees to learn about the latest science on rangeland ecology and management, and to discuss and present solutions for the challenges that ranchers face when trying to balance the needs of wildlife with the realities of keeping a viable livestock operation.  As with every year’s Summit, it was great to see scientists, conservationists and land managers working together.  Our California Program Director, Kim Delfino, delivered the opening remarks, reminding all present that for the Coalition to succeed in protecting rangelands, we would all have to change our long-entrenched views and presumptions about one another.

The Coalition was created based on scientific evidence that with proper management, grazing could benefit species in open grasslands and delicate habitats such as vernal pools.  But science alone will not be enough to protect grasslands from conversion when ranchers must decide whether or not to sell the land.  The Summit keeps that focus on solid science while recognizing the important roles that social and economic factors can play in driving conservation, and the agenda provided an excellent mix of talks by ranchers, researchers and conservationists with topics ranging from invasive species control to the challenges of producing grass-fed livestock while grazing on a wildlife refuge. Such a variety of speakers and topics allows for great conversations around the table.

The San Joaquin kit fox is one of the many species that rely on California’s grasslands (c)Barry Peterson

The Annual Summit provides an exceptional opportunity to meet other folks with different perspectives but with one thing in common: a love for rangelands.  The evidence was everywhere. A few ranchers were spotted buying manuals from the California Native Plant Society. The director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spoke to representatives of Resource Conservation Districts, and a Farm Bureau representative got to talk to experts in ecosystem services.  Of course, there can also be disagreement. One of this year’s most interesting exchanges occurred when a rancher argued with the USDA that feral pigs, far from being a nuisance, actually provide valuable ecological services to his ranch.  While we do not agree on everything, it is the ability to connect and learn from each other’s perspectives that allow us to work collaboratively – and that collaboration continues to be more and more important as new challenges arise.

Aside from the common theme of fighting rangeland conversion, there are a number of issues ahead that will keep testing the strength of this Coalition, including climate change and wildlife-livestock coexistence. But these relationships that have been forged over the years among scientists, ranchers and conservationists allow us to better manage and protect these complex ecosystems for both people and wildlife, and to tackle new challenges together.  The survival of grassland habitats and species depends on it.

An unlikely duo? Ranchers and conservationists team up to protect open spaces and wildlife in California.

IN THE FIELD: The California Rangeland Conservation Coalition, sponsored in part by Defenders, is hosting its sixth annual summit, “Beyond Conventional Ranching,” today and tomorrow at the Double Tree Hotel in Modesto, California.

The summit includes a field trip to several ranches that have implemented conservation practices, providing an opportunity to see firsthand how conserving private rangelands leads to environmental benefits.

This year, we will take a close look at the role that managed grazing and other conservation practices play in improving watersheds and providing wildlife habit. We will also explore how we can do a better job providing incentives to ranchers for their contributions to conservation.

Protecting Rangeland and Saving Wildlife

Despite decades of fragmentation and land conversion across the state, California rangelands still have amazing wealth of biological diversity. For example, rangelands provide critical wintering habitat for raptors such as the northern harrier and the peregrine falcon. Threatened and endangered wildlife, such as the California tiger salamander, the California red-legged frog, the San Joaquin kit fox and the California ground squirrel, also benefit from rangeland conservation.

Research has shown that several wildlife species, including the Bay checkerspot butterfly and unique habitats such as vernal pools, depend on livestock grazing, which mimics the natural role once played by native grazers (now mostly absent) that keeps invasive vegetation at bay.

Rangelands provide critical wintering habitat for raptors such as the northern harrier and the peregrine falcon. Threatened and endangered wildlife, such as the California tiger salamander, the California red-legged frog, the San Joaquin kit fox and the California ground squirrel, also benefit from rangeland conservation.

This year, we will unveil new research that explores how grazing can be used to create and improve habitat for other amphibian species and the endangered Lange’s metalmark butterfly – drawing special attention to collaboration between the coalition and researchers.

Well-managed cattle grazing fills a vital role in some ecosystems, a duty once beloning to native grazers that are now mostly gone.

Defenders has also been working with the coalition on developing markets and incentives for ecosystem services, or the environmental benefits of keeping rangelands as open space. Aside from providing habitat for imperiled wildlife, for example, rangelands help in the fight against climate change by capturing carbon. Well-managed rangelands also help to maintain clean water supplies and stave off problems like erosion.

Get Involved

Every year the summit brings together conservationists, researchers, government agencies, land trusts and ranchers to celebrate the success of this broad partnership spearheaded by the Cattlemen’s Association and Defenders of Wildlife. Over the years, it has also proven to be a great venue to discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for rangeland conservation in California.

The event is open to ranchers and members of the public. Register for the summit, or visit www.carangeland.org for more information.

Not sure how? Tracy Schohr, Rangeland Conservation director with the California Cattlemen’s Association, can answer your questions. You can reach her the old-fashioned way at (916) 444-0845.