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(from left) Shaun Musselman of the Hardy ranch,
explaines the benefits of a solar watering system with rancher Gene Hardy, NRCS
rangeland management specialist Andi Meyer, and others (NRCS photo -- click to enlarge) |
Nearly 135 board members of the National Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI
steering committee traveled to the Hardy Ranch, north of Douglas, Wyoming, for a
tour organized by NRCS and the Wyoming Private Grazing Lands Team.
The rangeland on the Hardy family operation supports sheep, cattle, wildlife,
and mining. Always striving to conserve natural resources, Gene Hardy and his
daughter and son-in-law Michelle and Shaun Musselman are in their second year of implementing improvement practices to their
range through an NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program contract. NRCS
Douglas Field Office district conservationist Tim Schroeder and rangeland
management specialist Andi Meyer provide technical assistance to the family to
help them meet their conservation goals.
Through water developments, fencing, and rotational grazing, the Hardy Ranch
hopes to increase carrying capacity by about 30 percent. “NRCS has been great to
work with, and in the end we will have a better ranch for the next generation,”
said Shaun Musselman.
Established in 1991, the primary mission of GLCI is to ensure that high quality
technical assistance is available for privately owned grazing lands. Supporters
of GLCI strive to ensure the assistance continues to be offered on a voluntary
basis to private land managers. In addition, they hope to increase the awareness
of the importance of grazing land resources across the nation.
The GLCI coalition is chaired by Oklahoma cattle producer Bob Drake. NRCS
rangeland management specialist Kim Stine serves as the National GLCI
Coordinator. The coalition is comprised of member producers of nine industry
organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Forage and
Grassland Council, American Sheep Industry, the Dairy Industry, National
Association of Conservation Districts, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association,
National Farmers Union, Society for Range Management, and the Soil and Water
Conservation Society.
Your contact is Nancy Atkinson,
NRCS public affairs specialist, at 307-233-6759.
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