United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
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About the Grazing Lands

Updated 06/13/2008

Grazing lands are found in every state of the United States in the form of rangeland, pasture, grazed forest, hay land, and/or grazed croplands. They have many uses and produce many benefits of value, not only to their owners but to the entire nation. Healthy grazing lands provide a social and economic base for agricultural, domestic and municipal uses, power production, and fish and wildlife. These lands are the source of forage for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock that produce food and fiber to meet human needs. They provide essential habitat for many species of wildlife. Some of these lands are also used for recreation. The aesthetic values of these lands are immeasurable. Landowners and managers provide these multiple benefits when comprehensive resource management is applied using appropriate grazing land technologies.

Our Mission

To provide technical excellence to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other appropriate customers in the acquisition, development, coordination, and transfer of technology that meets the needs of grazing land resources, landowners and managers, and the public.

Functions

  • To provide agency technical leadership in all areas of grazing lands management and conservation.
  • To locate, acquire, develop, coordinate, and transfer the appropriate grazing land technologies to NRCS for use in providing technology to farmers and ranchers for their use in making economically and ecologically sound management decisions on grazing lands.
  • To conduct workshops, paper presentation, and symposia to transfer the latest technologies.

Grazing Lands Personnel Directory

USDA Policy on Range