Western Rangelands Data Initiative

The Challenge 

• Many of the emerging technologies and monitoring approaches supporting rangeland management – in an increasingly arid climate – are either not well understood or not widely used and would benefit from more collaborative input and innovation.
• The current institutions and policies that guide decision-making related to public land grazing specifically have not kept pace with changing economic and ecological conditions. 

The Stakeholders 

• We have engaged more than 50 producers and producer groups, scientists, non-profit conservation organizations (NGOs), agricultural business owners, and others with a vested interest in ranch and rangeland health in the West. 
• An Advisory Committee comprised of individuals with wide-ranging knowledge in public and private rangeland management convenes monthly to provide feedback and direction on WRDI activities.  

The Impact 

• In collaboration with diverse partners, we are delivering a variety of activities that enhance shared knowledge and development of the ways data is used to support ranch and rangeland sustainability in the West. Activities include conducting interview assessments, commissioning issue briefs and reports, and hosting virtual discussions on priority issues identified by WRDI participants.  

Project Overview

Rangelands are a dominant ecosystem across the Western United States, providing important economic and ecosystem services – like agricultural production, water filtration, and wildlife habitat — while also helping sustain rural livelihoods and communities.  

In January 2024, Meridian hosted a meeting to identify opportunities for a multistakeholder collaborative effort utilizing data to advance the ecological and economic sustainability of Western rangelands, encompassing both ranch-level decision-making and broader policy and market objectives.  

Following this initial convening and a series of informational interviews, the Western Rangelands Data Initiative (WRDI) emerged, funded by Walton Family Foundation and Conscience Bay Research. Under the guidance of a multistakeholder advisory committee comprised of producers and producer groups, scientists, non-profit conservation organizations (NGOs), agricultural business owners, and others, Meridian has pursued a suite of collaborative activities under two workstreams: Innovation in Public Land Grazing and Ranch and Rangeland Resilience. 

The Innovation in Public Land Grazing Workstream acknowledges that many of the current institutions and policies that guide decision-making related to public land grazing have not kept pace with changing circumstances on the ground. These include precipitation variability, cultural and demographic shifts, policy and land-use changes, and economic pressures on ranches, all of which impact federal land management and livestock grazing in the Western United States. 

The second workstream, Ranch and Rangeland Resilience, responds to the reality that drought has become the new normal in the West. In response, ranchers and rangeland managers are utilizing innovative tools and approaches to navigate an increasingly arid climate and less predictable precipitation. The activities within this workstream are exploring some of the greatest challenges and opportunities for supporting ranch resilience during drought.  

 Under these two workstreams, WRDI’s projects to date include: 

• Innovation and Flexibility in Public Land Grazing Interview Summary: Meridian conducted 35 interviews with federal land grazing permittees, state and federal agencies, consultants, academics, and NGOs to identify ways to enhance flexibility and innovation in public land grazing to support greater resilience of rangeland ecosystems and ranching livelihoods while also enhancing public accountability and trust. The interview summary highlights key barriers and opportunities that emerged related to data and technology, agency culture and capacity, collaboration and trust, and policy.
• Perspective | Top 10 Trends in Rangelands and Ranches of the American West: This perspective paper describes the trends of Western rangelands and ranching through the unique perspectives of three Western rangeland professionals. Presented in its original conversational format with minimal editing, the authors discuss what they consider how these trends are impacting producers, landscapes, and rural communities across the West.
• Report | Technical Assistance for Western Rangeland Conservation: Drawing on insights from interviews with more than 30 technical assistance providers, producers, and other experts, this report presents technical assistance challenges and needs specific to Western landscapes and livestock producers. The report also speaks to the best practices for technical assistance provision and programming, and ends with a suite of recommendations for strengthening regional systems to better meet producers’ needs. This report was produced in partnership with Meridian Institute’s Technical Assistance Accelerator for Conservation Initiative.
• Issue Briefs and Virtual Discussion:  Opportunities and Limitations of Remote Sensing for Rangeland Management: This brief explores the ways that remote sensing is currently used to inform rangeland management and raises a number of questions about the on-the-ground utility and future development of this technology to meaningfully inform public and private rangeland stewardship, ranch business operations, and rangeland-based livelihoods. A recording of a presentation and discussion with the authors — Dr. Anthony Vorster and Nicholas Young of Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Lab — is available here (passcode: Bt90ks0?). A summary of themes that arose in breakout discussions following the presentation is also available here. 
• Rangeland Monitoring Framework: The interviews on innovation and flexibility in public land grazing revealed a specific need to strengthen approaches to rangeland data collection and utilization. Meridian is commissioning the development of a rangeland monitoring framework summarizing the various protocols used across federal agencies, state agencies, NGOs, and private entities. An accompanying report will detail how these protocols are intended for use by different audiences across the West to inform land management decision-making, as well as address any lingering questions and additional factors that may shape their success. The final product is expected by Summer 2025.  

Meridian’s hope is that these materials – and the additional questions, ideas, and discussions they incite – support the advancement of data-informed solutions to some of the most pressing challenges and greatest opportunities facing ranch and rangeland health in the West.