NRCS’s Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) was developed as a coordinated effort to identify priority issues, find solutions, and effect change on private grazing land, enhancing existing conservation programs.
In 2024, USDA awarded $22 million in cooperative agreements for 29 projects in 36 states that expand access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers and increase the use of conservation practices on grazing lands. NRCS awarded GLCI cooperative agreements for projects that have identified barriers to accessing grazing assistance for producers and will include outreach and support for reaching underserved producers.
USDA is reviving and revitalizing GLCI to leverage partner capacity, expertise and technical assistance to expand the footprint of well-managed grazing systems across the country. While some states have been able to use annual funds to support similar agreements, this new structure and additional funding provides a more strategic and comprehensive approach to support grazing systems, reach new and underserved producers and address climate change.
GLCI also supports the National Grazing Lands Coalition to help state grazing coalitions boost participation from underserved producers; host a Triennial National Grazing Lands Conference; and to act as navigators for grazers seeking additional resources.
National Grazing Lands Coordinator:
Michael Margo
(469) 712-0817
Michael.Margo@usda.gov
Background
Private grazing land in the United States has provided many products and benefits to their owners and to society for over 200 years. Historical use of these lands occurred without the benefit of grazing land science, as we know it today. Today there are more potential conflicts than ever before on private grazing lands within the United States. Demands by landowners and society for grazing land benefits, values, and products are increasing. Private landowners require a solid economic business.
Society benefits from an available supply of food and fiber; clean air, healthy wildlife populations and habitat; improved fisheries and aquatic systems; and healthy riparian areas. These lands provide opportunities for improved nutrient management from land application of animal manure and other by-product nutrient sources, reduces soil erosion from wind and water, reduces potential for flooding, less sediment in streams and reservoirs, and has a major impact on economic and social stability in rural communities.
Owners of private grazing lands must continue to recognize conservation problems and opportunities and receive sound voluntary technical assistance to improve their grazing land resource to meet ecological and economic demands.
The Initiative
The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is a nationwide collaborative process of individuals and organizations working together to maintain and improve the management, productivity, and health of the Nation's privately owned grazing land. GLCI was developed to provide for a coordinated effort to identify priority issues, find solutions, and effect change on private grazing land. This initiative will complement and enhance existing conservation programs.
There is a National GLCI Steering Committee and many state committees throughout the country. Coalitions represent the grass root concerns that impact private grazing land. Concerns are expressed to the public and agency officials in an attempt to address the issues impacting private grazing land.
Strategies
GLCI seeks to strengthen partnerships, promote voluntary assistance and participation, respects private property rights, encourages diversification to achieve multiple benefits, and emphasizes training, education, and increased public awareness. Private grazing landowners are eager to voluntarily improve their lands. However, they need technical assistance to help them use the latest and best technology to make grazing land management decisions. Existing technical assistance is limited for those who own grazing land and does not meet the needs for adequately sustaining or enhancing the resources.
Progress
Through GLCI efforts, Congress has identified funds in the NRCS's budget to be used directly for technical assistance and public awareness activities to support conservation activities on private grazing lands.
NRCS is one of the primary players in the initiative. NRCS is the technical agency of USDA that provides assistance to conservation districts and individuals in planning and carrying out conservation activities.
NRCS has the expertise and experience to provide technical assistance to owners and managers of private grazing land for the long-term productivity and ecological health of grazing land. NRCS assists with public awareness activities to inform the public on the values and benefits of private grazing land.
Coalitions
Coalitions are made up of individuals and organizations that work collectively to accomplish the goals and objectives of the initiative. When opportunities exist, coalitions can be expanded to include individuals and organizations that have an interest in private grazing lands to help achieve the objectives of the initiative. Generally, personnel from government agencies and universities serve in an advisory capacity to the coalitions.
Coalitions actively seek sources to increase technical assistance and public awareness activities that maintain or enhance grazing land resources. State and local coalitions support national strategies and also develop local strategies and goals to meet their local needs.
Summary
Today and tomorrow's decision-makers must have an ecological understanding of the grazing land resources to make wise land management decisions that will provide for present and future demands of the resource. It is imperative that adequate technical assistance is available by personnel trained in grazing management to help landowners use the latest and best technology.
This assistance will provide owners and managers of private grazing land information to make management decisions that will conserve and enhance private grazing land resources and provide related benefits to all citizens of the United States.
For More Information
Contact your state or local GLCI coalition, your local conservation district, or NRCS for more information. Information is also available on the grazing lands website 
.
Ready to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.