Problem: Fragmented grazing techniques minimize naturally available forage, stimulate proliferation of noxious weeds, decrease groundwater recharge, and increase stream erosion, sediment deposition, and excessive storm runoff. Conventional grazing, which tends to overuse favored pastureland, depletes forage growth and degrades overall rangeland health - which is detrimental to profitable ranching and wildlife diversity. In many ranch areas, the dominant species are either indigestible or dangerous: yellow star thistle, pepper weed, medusahead, rip gut, and their kin.

Solution: Integrated management redeems rangeland, so that both cattle and wildlife, for example, can use it from late spring through fall. Comprehensive management encourages drought- and fire-resistant native grasses for forage and weed control while fostering ground covers that reduce erosion and sediment depositions downstream. Effective weed management requires good timing and a mix of tools such as fire, timed grazing, and selective herbicides. Coordinated grazing maximizes rangeland utility by using local ecological strengths to increase and extend the period of forage quality. Multi-purpose, rangeland hill ponds provide stock and wildlife watering sites, catch storm runoff and capture sediment so that it stays on site. Ponds encourage slow percolation of storm water, recharging the local water table and streambeds. In short, by understanding what has gone wrong, ranchers can look to their pastureland as both available resource and long-term asset.