Conservation & Partnerships
Manage the business as well as you manage the land
 Looking to buy or sell hay or straw? Need to lease pasture or have some available? Mountain West Grazing is here to help! With the launch of the grazing connection, you can easily post listings FOR FREE to connect with others in the ag community - this is your go-to resource.
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.
 Governor Gianforte, Federal Delegation Advocate for Montana Agriculture
Governor Greg Gianforte, along with members of Montana’s federal delegation, recently sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum detailing the state’s longstanding efforts to petition the federal government to follow the laws governing grazing permits.
Nationally, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages livestock grazing on 155 million acres of public lands. The terms and conditions for grazing on BLM-managed lands are set forth in the permits and leases that are issued to ranchers.
Interior Proposes to Rescind Public Lands Rule, Restoring Balanced, Multiple-Use Management
The Department of the Interior is proposing to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule, aligning with Secretary Doug Burgum’s commitment to restoring balance in federal land management by prioritizing multiple-use access, empowering local decision-making and supporting responsible energy development, ranching, grazing, timber production and recreation across America’s public lands.
 Secretary Rollins Speaks on State of Farm Economy, Announces Suite of Actions to Support American Farmers
At the Agriculture Outlook Forum, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins spoke on the current state of the farm economy in the United States and addressed the ways President Trump is supporting American agriculture. U.S. farm production inputs are significantly more costly than four years ago, putting pressure on farmers’ bottom line. Between 2020 and now, seed expenses have increased 18%, fuel and oil expenses increased 32%, fertilizer expenses increased 37%, and interest expenses increased by a whopping 73%.
Montana Department of Agriculture Confirms New Rush Skeletonweed Sites in Western Montana
The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) in recent weeks at several sites outside its historic invaded range in the state. These include two plants in the I-90 median west of Three Forks, a few plants at two locations south of Dillon on I-15, and individual plants located where recent forest fires occurred near Wise River and Wisdom.
Celebrate Ag Events at MSU
November is Celebrate Ag month at Montana State University! Checkout the calendar of events below to participate and click on the link below to learn more about Celebrate Ag at MSU!
 FWP Public Notices & Opportunity for Comment
Bird hunters should be aware of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds
Before opening day of waterfowl season on Oct. 4, it’s a good time for hunters to be thinking about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
While the number of HPAI cases in wild birds tends to decline over the summer, FWP has started to see some mortality of wild birds from this virus again this fall. HPAI is a naturally occurring virus that is extremely infectious and fatal to poultry and some species of wild birds. It was first detected in wild birds and domestic poultry in Montana in spring 2022.
 NRCS Sets Conservation Program Funding Application Date
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana is accepting applications for all conservation assistance programs. While NRCS accepts applications for programs year-round, producers and landowners should apply for this opportunity by Oct. 31, 2025, to be considered for this funding cycle.
“NRCS provides funding and technical assistance to help farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners implement conservation practices that improve their environmental and economic sustainability,” said Gayle Barry, Acting NRCS State Conservationist for Montana. “Conservation work focused on local outcomes with the support of local partners and land managers achieves meaningful conservation across a landscape. These opportunities are open to ag operations of any size.”
USDA Announces Forest Health Resilience Projects to Improve Timber Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $8 million for five new projects to reduce wildfire risk, protect water quality, and improve forest health across the nation. This expands President Trump’s mission to improve the lives of American families, support rural communities, and expand domestic timber production.
Podcast Corner
AoR 166: Gabe Brown on Regenerative Grazing
Gabe Brown was thinking about and practicing regenerative grazing before it had a name. Grazing management that maintains the productive potential of naturally occurring ecosystems is an ecological imperative that is as needful today as it was 10,000 years ago.
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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.
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