The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Rangeland Resources Program (RRP) promotes and advocates for healthy, sustainable rangelands that supports people, wildlife, recreation, clean water, and the natural scenic beauty of Montana.

News

Working Lands Internship Program Accepting Applications! The WLIP is accepting applications now until the deadline of February 3, 2025. If you know a college Junior or Senior who is looking for an immersive 10-12 week paid summer internship, this is an amazing opportunity! Click here for additional details and application information.

Mexico screwworm case triggers US emergency response The recent discovery of a New World screwworm (NWS) infection in a cow in southern Mexico has prompted action by the federal government to prevent the deadly parasitic pest from entering the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced December 13 that it will release $165 million in emergency funding to protect U.S. livestock, pets, and wildlife.

Out of lek: High land prices stall Montana sage grouse conservation easements With land prices soaring in Montana, groups that assist landowners with conservation easements to protect sage grouse habitat from being developed are running into a financial roadblock. “Unfortunately ... there’s nowhere left in Montana where we can go to a landowner and sit down and do a deal,” said Brad Hansen of the Montana Land Reliance.

Montana State researcher examines how rangelands respond to heat and drought stress As the climate in the American West becomes increasingly arid and drought stress becomes more common, agricultural producers are seeking to understand how crops weather those warmer and drier trends across Montana’s rangelands. A postdoctoral researcher in Montana State University’s Department of Ecology is exploring some of those questions by delving into the microbial communities in rangeland grasses and how they respond to heat stress and drought.

The Cheapest Hay Is the Hay You Never Buy

Regenerative agriculture and adaptive grazing often focus on reducing inputs in an agriculture production system. In the following discussion, I would like to share some thoughts on how to add net profit into a grazing operation, as well as share my own experiences reducing hay inputs with the grass-finished beef herd that roams across our northern Michigan family farm.

Each year provides new opportunities to incorporate more regenerative practices. Over the past several years of following Understanding Ag’s 6-3-4 on our beef farm, we have been developing better soil aggregation through enhanced soil biology, which ultimately results in an increase in the brix content of the plants in the pasture. We have also seen an increase in plant diversity with increased rest periods. Increased plant diversity builds a more robust soil microbial community, and the increase in brix content helps us improve weight gain on marketable animals and help cows carry better body condition.

Improve respiratory health with winter stress management

If you’ve ever gone out to break ice while you had a cold, you know it can feel miserable simply breathing. Respiratory disease in the winter feels awful, for both humans and cattle. Thankfully, there are ways to manage the top three winter stressors that make cattle more susceptible to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), said Peggy Thompson, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

Conservation & Partnerships

Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Kicks Off Free Rural Resilience Webinar Series 

The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is proud to announce the fifth annual Rural Resilience Webinar Series, a free educational program designed to help ranchers and rural residents grow their financial, ecological, and social resilience. This four-part series, held via Zoom on the fourth Thursday of each month from January to April, provides expert insights, actionable strategies, and an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about the future of ranching and rural communities. 

Webinar Schedule: 

• Thursday, January 23 – Grass Growth Via Goat
  Learn how to manage weeds and stimulate native grass growth with goats!  Presenter: Lani Malmberg, Goat Green LLC 

• Thursday, February 27 – Vermicast 101
  Learn how ranchers are utilizing earthworms to improve their soils.  Presenters: Kendall Morgan, Winnett ACES & Guest Ranchers 

• Thursday, March 27 – Cashing in on Your Cash Crop
  What value-added programs actually add value when marketing calves?  Presenter: Jessica Sperber, University of Nebraska – Lincoln 

• Thursday, April 24 – Managing Risk for Ranching
  Get the ins and outs of pasture, rangeland, and forage (PRF) insurance.  Presenters: Brad Beck & McKay Erickson, Redd Summit 

Each webinar runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Mountain Time, featuring a 60-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A, where participants can engage directly with the presenters. 

“We’re thrilled to offer this space for meaningful conversations and practical takeaways,” said Mary Oxarart, RSA Education Program Manager. 

Pre-registration is required, and participants will receive the Zoom link upon registering.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow alongside others dedicated to resilient ranching! 

December Newsletter

December's Working Lands for Wildlife newsletter is jam packed with information! Click the link below to check it out, listen to their podcasts, and subscribe!

Nominations Open for 2025 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award

The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award (ESAP). Each year, MSGA honors a Montana ranch that exemplifies environmental stewardship and demonstrates a commitment toward improved sustainability within the beef industry. The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2025.

MSGA Launches Leadership, Legacy and the Land Video Series in Partnership with Stockman Bank

The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA), in partnership with Stockman Bank and Western Ag Network, today launched a new video series Leadership, Legacy and the Land which showcases leaders, success stories, families new and old, conservation efforts, and programs of Montana’s leading livestock industry. The first installment of the series highlights recently elected MSGA’s President, Lesley Robinson, who is the first female president in the organization’s 140-year history. 

Agency Updates

Funding Available Now!

Multiple Grant Opportunities

DNRC administers a wide range of grants and loans for Montana, assisting cities and towns, conservation districts, private landowners, and other groups in managing natural resource issues at the local level. 

NRCS and Partners Announce Funding Opportunity Focused on Mitigating Livestock Predator Conflicts

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering technical and financial assistance through the Non-Lethal Conflict Reduction Project in partnership with the Heart of the Rockies, Blackfoot Challenge, and other key organizations to agricultural landowners in 26 counties. While NRCS accepts applications for all programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply for this opportunity by the Jan. 10, 2025, batching date to be considered for this funding cycle.

Conservation and Innovation: Reseeding a Ranching Legacy

Applications Open!

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is soliciting applications to become the next Nonpoint Source Focus Watershed area. This geographic area will be eligible for approximately $500,000 annually of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 319 program funding from 2026-2028 (a combined $1.5M over three years) and additional technical assistance from DEQ staff.

How locoweeds host a fungus that makes them toxic to livestock, but don’t seem to care

Locoweeds are a group of about 25 toxic legume species (Astragalus spp. and Oxytropis spp.) native to US western rangelands that can cause livestock poisoning. In Montana, the perennial white locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) (photo, right) is the most common species. Locoweed creates economic losses due to ‘locoism,’ a neurological disease of livestock caused by the alkaloid swainsonine. Swainsonine is made exclusively by a slow-growing fungus (Undifilum oxytropis), known as an “endophyte,” which lives between cells in leaves so the plant does not see it as a pathogen. The fungus does not spread from plant to plant but can endure over locoweed generations because it first grows in the seed coat and then develops within emerged seedlings each spring.

Public Comment Opportunities

APHIS removes Brucella spp., other agents from BSAT list

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service completed its biennial review of the Biological Select Agents and Toxins list. As a result of this review, APHIS is removing five select agents from the BSAT list. These include: Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, and Brucella melitensis, African horse sickness virus and Peronosclerospora philippinensis . 

Free Tax Education Webinar

I need to choose WHAT?  Join Rob Holcomb from University of Minesota for a webinar discussing the different types and characteristics of formal ag business entities.  He will provide an overview of their advantages, disadvantages and tax implications. 

Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Program to Support Wood Processing Facilities and Help Reduce Wildfire Threats

USDA Rural Development is partnering with USDA Forest Service to provide funding through the new Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP). The program will support the processing and utilization of wood products from National Forest System lands to improve forest health and reduce the risk posed by wildfires, insects, and disease and the detrimental impacts they have on communities and critical infrastructure.

Podcast Corner

AoR 86: Intro to Ranch Financial Resiliency--Jack Southworth, James Rogers, & Clay Worden Many ranchers don't do it for the money, but one cannot ranch for long only losing money. In this first episode in a grant-funded series on ranch financial resiliency, Jack Southworth discusses principles and common problems in ranch money management with James Rogers and Clay Worden.

A Coffee Chat with "Missoula's Rancher" Have you ever sat down to tackle something and thought, “Well, I don’t know what this is gonna be all about, but we’re going to send it just the same”? A conversation over coffee with Bart Morris and Connie French.

Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees This season we are talking about bees. Bees are essential to healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. Commercial production of many high-value and specialty crops like almonds and other tree nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables depend on pollination.

Research Center

To make the 406 Rangelands newsletter more reader friendly, the "Research Center" section has been permanently moved to the Rangeland Resources Program website. You can access it here.

January

• 6 - MT Legislative Session (Helena, MT)
  For details and Legislative calendar, click here

• 16 - Winnett ACES Annual Meeting (Winnett, MT)
  For more information, click here

• 17 - RSA Annual Banquet (Malta, MT)
  For more information, click here

• 21 - MACD Meeting @ 7:30am (Virtual)
  For schedule and additional details, click here

• 30-31 - WMT Winter Grazing Conference (Missoula, MT)
  For additional details, email office@missoulacd.org

February

• 4-6 - Montana Soil Health Symposium (Billings, MT)
  For registration information, click here

• 6 - Prairie Dog Management Workshop (Billings, MT)
  For details, click here

• 4-7 - Cattle Con 2025; Nat'l Cattleman's Beef Association Convention (San Antonio, TX) For details, click here

• 9-13 - Society for Range Management (Spokane, WA)
  For registration information, click here 

March

• 23-29 - National Agriculture Appreciation Week

• 24 - Rangeland Resources Committee Meeting (Helena, MT)

• 25 - Rangelands in the Rotunda (Helena, MT)

Contacts

Stacey Barta, State Coordinator for Rangelands
(406) 594-8481
SBarta@mt.gov

Shantell Martin, Program Specialist
(406) 531-4584
shantell.frame-martin2@mt.gov

Rangeland Resources Committee:

Diane Ahlgren, Chair
John Hollenback, Vice Chair
Sigurd Jensen
Jim Anderson
Leah Lewis
Ron Devlin