History of Rangeland Management

Eras of Rangeland Management (in United States)

Native Americans Explorers & Trappers Settlers and Pioneers Open Range Homesteaders Rangeland Scientists Land Managers

Native Americans Focus on survival Heavy use of natural products Early agriculture Hunting/gathering Use of fire Impact on land varied

Explorers & Trappers Cortez in 1515 and Coronado in

1540 – first introduced livestock to North America

Lewis & Clark 1804-1806 Lands were largely unmanaged –

created roads and trails, set the stage for development

Steve Long expedition 1819-1820 described the western range as the “Great American Desert”

Settlers and Pioneers

Homestead Act in 1862 160 acres “proved up” & 5 yrs residence

Enlarged Homestead Act in 1909 320 acres “proved up” & 5 yrs residence

Stock Raisers Homestead Act in 1916 640 for 50 cows

John Wesley Powell Expedition in 1869 Realized limitations of western lands Suggested 2560 acres for each

homestead

Private ownership of land encouraged from late 1800 through early 1900

Open Range After Civil War (1861-1865)

Livestock production boomed Livestock sold by the “Head” not the

“Pound” Railroads important for livestock

sales Open Range Livestock peaked in

1880 1886 drought, low cattle prices, and

several bad winters ended the “open range” livestock

Cattle vs Sheep = Range Wars (1870’s)

Homesteaders Had to “prove up”

to gain claim. Settled around

water sources. Affected land

ownership patterns seen today.

Rangeland Scientists Discipline of range science and

management is completely “American”

Morrill Act (1862) First degree in range in 1919.

By 1925, 15 universities with degrees. First grazing management

research 1910-1915 by Arthur Sampson as Director of Great Basin Experiment Station.(Photo from U.S. Forest Service)

Birth of Land Management Taylor Grazing Act 1934

“.. to stop injury to the public grazing lands and provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development.”

Soil Conservation Act of 1935 Birth of the Natural Resources

Conservation Service

Improvement of Rangelands 1950-60 created great improvement

in rangeland health Control over grazing

Bureau Land Management -1946 Water developments

Invasive plant control Reseeding Range science directed

management

Environmental Policies 1960-Now Multiple Use Act 1960 Wilderness Act – 1964 National Environmental Policy Act –

1969 Federal Land Policy and Mgmt Act –

1976 Endangered Species Act – 1973 Clean Water Act – 1977 Range Improvement Act - 1978

Effects of European Humans Implemented controlled, annual

grazing and heavy overgrazing. Controlled wild ungulates through

hunting Exclusion and control of wildland fire Farming and planting Introduced exotic plants and

animals.

Future of Rangeland Mgmt ? ? ? ?

Take home message Native Americans influence

vegetation patterns and animal populations.

European settlers have strongly altered western rangelands. Whether these changes are “good” or

“bad” depends on philosophy of land management.

Much damage to rangelands were created in late 1800’s and early 1900’s.