Rangeland Health Reference Sheets Integrated into ESIS

To facilitate national access and format consistency, a rangeland health reference sheet module has been incorporated into the Ecological Site Information System (ESIS).  The Grazing Lands Team, working with the Information Technology Center, developed the module in ESIS to provide States with a method for entry, storage, editing, and retrieval of the reference sheet information.  States are responsible for development, entry, approval, and maintenance of the reference sheet for each rangeland Ecological Site Description.

A reference sheet is required to conduct the rangeland health assessment as described in Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health Version 4 – 2005 and the National Range and Pasture Handbook.  Rangeland health assessments are conducted to evaluate how ecological processes are functioning on an ecological site.  The reference sheet describes the range of expected conditions for each of seventeen indicators evaluated and ranked in the assessment process.  The reference sheet integrates all of the available sources of data and knowledge to generate a description of the range of expected conditions for each of the indicators and facilitates consistent application of the rangeland health assessment process.  Reference sheets are currently being developed for each ecological site describing this range of expected conditions.
For additional information, contact Homer Sanchez, Grazing Lands Team, at 817-509-3227.