State of the Rockies Project

Report on Ranching Finds Challenge and Hope in the West

By Bryan Hurlbutt, 4-20-06

Almost one quarter of the West’s ranches have been converted to other uses in the past 30 years, and 24 million more acres of ranchland are expected to disappear by 2020 as traditional ranchers struggle to meet costs and face strong development pressure. But there are ways smaller ranches can make ends meet, as demonstrated in “Ranches in the Rockies—Threats and Signs of Hope,” part of the 2006 Colorado College State of the Rockies Report Card. Some ranchers are diversifying their operations by hosting hunting and fishing expeditions, accommodating dude ranchers, and niche marketing organic and natural meat. Others are adopting sustainable management techniques, like Holistic Resource Management, to increase output while cutting production costs.

Are ranchers struggling where you live? How are they altering their businesses to meet today’s challenges? Is it working? (Click here for the PDF of the Ranching in the Rockies section of the report card.)

Editor's note: The writer is a co-author of the 2006 Report Card. We are releasing segments of the report here on New West for your perusal and discussion fodder.

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