Boots and Birkenstocks Working Together to Keep Ranchers

The California Rangeland
Conservation Coalition:
Boots and Birkenstocks
Working Together to Keep
Ranchers Ranching
California Rangelands
•  60 million acres
•  Grasslands oak
woodlands and
savanna, vernal pools
•  Mostly privately
owned
•  Cattle grazing main
land use
Tracy Schohr
Spanish Period (1769-1822)
•  Introduction of nonnative plant and
animal species:
- Intentional
- Accidental
California Rangelands provide
Environmental Benefits
•  Food
•  Wildlife habitat
•  Water cycling
•  Carbon sequestration
•  Cultural services
Rangeland Conversion
20,000 acres of rangeland are converted every year
Ranching in California
•  Low profits
•  High land values
•  The next generation?
•  Climate change…
Let’s try collaboration!
•  First meeting
Summer 2005
•  12 organizations
NRCS,FWS, Defenders,
Cattlemen’s
•  127 organizations
2015
California Rangeland
Resolution
Conservation of rangelands through collaboration:
- Keeping common species common on private
landscapes
- Recover imperiled species and enhance habitat,
minimize regulations streamlining processes
- Increasing funding and technical assistance for
stewardship
- Encourage conservation in private ranches
- Educate the public about the benefits of rangelands
and ranches
- Supporting the long-term viability of the ranching
industry (Keep ranchers ranching!)
We put
rangelands on the
map!
The tipping point…
Jaymee Marty
Structure
•  Fiscal sponsor: Trust for
Conservation Innovation
•  Staff
•  Committees:
! Steering
! Administrative
! Public Lands
! Policy
! Outreach
California Rangeland
Conservation Coalition
•  Research
•  Outreach
•  Policy
Working together to
keep ranchers
ranching!
Research: Payments for Ecosystem
Services: A California Rancher
Perspective
Funded by NRCS CIG
Survey: Interested in Participating
in Payments for Ecosystem
Services Program?
17%
Yes
7%
No
Don’t Know
76%
14
Reasons for Non- Participation in Resource Conservation Programs
44
Concern About Gov't Restriction
23
Hassle/Paperwork
21
Didn't Understand How to Apply
14
Not Accepted
16
Pay Not High Enough
12
Interferes with Livestock Prodcution
8
Not Allowed Under Lease
6
Didn't Want to Change Way I Manage Land
5
Contract Too Long
23
Other
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
# of Responses
35
40
45
50
Outreach
–  Annual Summit,
website, e-updates,
grazing tours, annual
BBQ
–  Raise awareness of
the importance of
ranching
–  Promote the use of
grazing as a tool for
conservation
Outreach
•  We have created a community of
people interested in rangelands
–  Publications: Grazing for change,
guardians of the range
–  E-newsletter list: 1,800 people
–  Summit attendance 2006 = 80 people
Summit attendance 2013 = 380 people
Policy
–  Boots and
birkenstocks; visit to
Washington DC
–  Farm Bill, Williamson
Act, Tax incentives
for conservation
easements
Increased Funding and
Technical Assistance
!  Rapid Watershed Assessment Program
!  Agricultural Water Quality Enhancement Program
2010-2014: Yolo RCD, Audubon, Defenders of
Wildlife, Rangeland Coalition; $1.3 million of NRCS
funding for conservation practices on 60,955 acres
Current Projects
Assessing Threats to Ecosystem
Services on California
Rangelands
•  USGS/Defenders of Wildlife/
CRCC
•  Funded by the California
Landscape Conservation
Cooperative
•  Published in Landscape
Ecology and Bioscience
Current Projects
Wildlife-Friendly
Livestock Pond Initiative
•  Working with RCDs
•  Good for ranchers and
good for wildlife
•  Funding needed!!!!
Challenges
•  Programmatic Safe
Harbor Agreement
(CRCC)
•  California Foothills
Legacy Area (FWS)
•  Public Lands Grazing?
Challenges
•  Funding
•  Structure and
decision-making
•  Forum for
discussion or for
action?
Collaborative Conservation
•  Rewarding but challenging
•  Egosystem management: It is all about
people
•  Opportunities for success are as great as
the ones for failure
Collaborative Conservation
Is there a better way?