Sustainable Rangelands:    Grasslands that, when utilized for a specific goal or purpose, are consistently improving or at a minimum showing equal heath and vigor, after timely recovery from that use.

Much as in the statement, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, any definition of sustainable rangelands must apply to each individual’s perception of what the goal is. I was at the 2013 NCBA convention when McDonald’s, the hamburger giant, made the statement that, at a point in time they would only serve sustainable beef. The next words from the speaker’s mouth was that the cattle raisers and NCBA would have to determine what the correct definition of sustainable beef was. I am certainly not a scholar of the English language, but it appears to me that we are trying to make the definition of the word sustainable much too broad. It is a word that has become accepted as an environmentally, socially and economically acceptable term for most any commodity produced. Many industries both in agriculture and others outside of agriculture are spending vast amounts of time, and for that matter money, trying to come up with an acceptable definition and standards that apply to their respective “sustainable” industry.  I believe that the English language is too diverse to limit such a broad and key area to one word. I have never been very good at giving definitions of words, (Just ask my teachers from grade school.)  Words that are used out of place and are to general to describe what is actually occurring, should be replaced with those that more accurately portray the situation. Now if you ask me to describe healthy-improving rangelands that’s a different story.

A healthy rangeland is one that is moving the water cycle forward so that little water from precipitation is wasted. That water it is either utilized by the plant community for growth and reproduction or can soak into the ground and become part of the aquifer system.

A healthy rangeland is one that is moving the mineral cycle forward. Mineral cycles are complicated, but one of the key things that happens is the magical process of photosynthesis converts sunlight to chemical energy, turning CO2 to carbon, which is stored in the soil for future plant and microbial use and oxygen is released into the atmosphere.

A healthy rangeland is one that is building soil health. Combining the improved water and mineral cycles is the basis of improving soil health providing a good habitat for microbes, earthworms, insects and numerous other ‘critters’ that are so important to storing water, energy, minerals and countless other nutrients, producing healthy soils.

As all these resulting improving rangeland health issues come together to produce a truly sustainable rangeland. All as a result of initiating and maintaining a well designated-practical rangeland management program.

Pretty cool deal.

Big Blue – Indian – Little Blue – Canada Wildrye – Texas Cup – Wild Honeysuckle

All native no seeding. Can’t ask for any better than this. All it takes is a properly planned, applied and maintained grazing program. Yes, lots of patience, planning and perseverance needs be applied in liberal proportions.