Healthy Rangelands

From the minute I could walk I was blessed with the opportunity to grow up wandering the outdoors. My metaphorical playground was 280 acres of pasture surrounded by the beautiful sagebrush desert of South Idaho. I remember going out on the family farm with my Grandpa, in hindsight I was no help and honestly my endless stream of questions probably drove him crazy. That being said, one significant take-away he taught me was the importance of healthy lands. Not just for our family but for the world. Grandpa led by example and I work to embody this mindset in my own life, both professionally and personally. 

Rangelands account for more than half of this world’s total land mass. These lands are used for agriculture, recreation, habitat, and countless other purposes. My entire life has been overshadowed with the correlation between life as we know it and how our very existence is provided. It all comes back to the land. When considering the direct linkage between rangelands and sustaining the world my mind is automatically drawn towards livestock production. Domestic livestock grazing is heavily dependent upon managed rangelands. Personally I love a nice steak at the end of the day, and I’m sure many of you can relate. In the United States alone the USDA reports roughly 47% of the land is used to graze livestock. This process can only continue so long as we manage the rangelands in a sustainable manner.

When I’ve had a rough day or life feels overwhelming my first instinct is to get in my truck and go “touch grass”. Few things make me as happy as rain on the sagebrush or a sunset over the range. I bring this up because perhaps the most underappreciated benefit of rangelands is the aesthetic aspect. Today's world is hectic, fast paced, and frankly stressful. As human beings and more specifically as young professionals it’s our duty to manage and care for the land around us, and in return the calming effect of the great outdoors will benefit our mental health as we navigate our busy lives. 

These two examples, aesthetics and agriculture, both highlight the significant relationships between healthy rangelands and sustaining the world in both physical and metaphorical ways. If we want to preserve our way of living it is vital that we maintain the health of this earth's rangelands.

Written By:

Taylor Newey