The California Rangeland Conservation Coalition: Grazing research supports an alliance for working landscapes

Abstract

has made clear is that conserving working landscapes often means working across property lines and in col-laboration with planners, agencies, conservation groups, landowners, and the ranching industry. A ranch in the San Francisco Bay Area was the backdrop for a meeting between environmentalists, ranchers, and resource profes-sionals from federal and state agencies. From this meeting of former foes in the Summer of 2005, participants drafted a resolution documenting common ground for the conserva-tion of the rangeland encircling the central valley, including the Sierra foothills and interior coast ranges. The resolution recognized that these wildlife-rich rangelands have been shaped by grazing and the other land stewardship practices of the ranchers who own and manage them. Recent research contributed to this alliance, by showing how well-managed grazing can provide improved habitat values.The resolution is currently signed by 64 agricultural orga-nizations, environmental interest groups, as well as state and federal agencies (see The California Rangeland Resolution). Together these signatories form the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition. The signatories have pledged to work together to preserve and enhance California’s rangeland for species of special concern, while supporting the long-term viability of the ranching industry. An important part of the group’s effort will focus on educating the public about the benefi ts of grazing and ranching on these rangelands.The value of grazing and other land stewardship practices of California’s ranchers is being increasingly acknowledged not only as a preferred land use but also as an