Conservation of Private Grazing Land Fact Sheet

Introduction

The Nation depends on its 642 million acres of private grazing lands. They produce food and fiber. They provide aquifer recharge, streamflow, and flood protection. They offer wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. To people in rural areas, private grazing lands are the economic lifeblood. And the environmental benefits that healthy private grazing lands provide make life better for us all.

How Conservation of Private Grazing Land Will Work

Conservation of Private Grazing Land was authorized by the conservation provisions of the 1996 Farm Bill. It will ensure that technical, educational, and related assistance is provided to those who own private grazing lands. This assistance will offer opportunities for:

• Better grazing land management;
• Protecting soil from erosive wind and water;
• Using more energy-efficient ways to produce food and fiber;
• Conserving water;
• Providing habitat for wildlife;
• Sustaining forage and grazing plants;
• Using plants to sequester greenhouse gasses and increase soil organic matter; and
• Using grazing lands as a source of biomass energy and raw materials for industrial products.

Conservation of Private Grazing Land is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Funding

For Conservation of Private Grazing Lands, $10 million has been made available for fiscal year 1997 from conservation technical assistance funds. Legislation states that up to $60 million can be appropriated for technical assistance for grazing lands.

For More Information

Your USDA Service Center or local conservation district can provide more information. The USDA Service Center is listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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