USDA awarded $22 million in cooperative agreements in 2024 for projects that expand access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers and increase the use of conservation practices on grazing lands.
USDA's investment in grazing lands conservation
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. The funding is provided through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). 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.
2024 GLCI Cooperative Agreements
| No. | Organization | POC | POC_Email | Geographic_Reach | Project_Title | Project_Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS GRAZING LAND COALITION, INC. | Jenny Pluhar | jenny@texasglc.org | TX | Principles Before Practices: Gateway to Technical Assistance & Healthy Landscapes | This proposal addresses and delivers basic technical assistance to support soil health and grazing management principles and expand effective use of the practices offered by USDA-NRCS. Peer to peer mentoring, hands-on workshops and web based curriculum combine to provide fundamental information satisfying a growing thirst for meaningful technical assistance. |
| 2 | ILLINOIS GRAZING LANDS COALITION | Christian Lovell | christian@ilgrazinglands.org | IL | Expanding Capacity for Illinois Grazing | The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition will organize and lead a multi-stakeholder partnership delivering educational and peer networking opportunities for a diverse set of Illinois farmers and ranchers. These opportunities will expand grazing knowledge for existing, beginning, and underserved producers, as well as interested youth, to grow adoption of climate-smart grazing practices and management systems in Illinois to address natural resource concerns. |
| 3 | Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment | Ellen Griswold | egriswold@wolfesneck.org | New England + NY (east) | Expanding managed grazing in New England and Eastern New York through partnerships, climate-smart technical assistance, and education | Coordinated by Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, this project will expand managed grazing in New England and Eastern New York through a coalition of grazing-focused organizations that will strengthen and provide education, outreach, and technical assistance across states to support an increase in the acreage of pastureland that is managed in accordance with climate-smart and managed grazing by both beginning and more established farmers. This work will prioritize expanding the climate-smart grazing community in the region through outreach and targeted educational opportunities for new, beginning, historically underserved, and transitioning livestock farmers. |
| 4 | THE AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST | Jeff Schreiber | jschreiber@farmland.org | KS | Enhancing Grazing Management in Kansas for Underreached Producers and Landowners | American Farmland Trust (AFT), Kansas Grazing Land Coalition (KGLC), and Kansas Soil Health Alliance (KSHA) will enhance grazing management plan technical assistance (TA) and financial assistance (FA) access for Historically Underserved (HU), women, and non-operating landowners (NOLs) in Kansas while generally increasing Kansas ranchers’ application to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for grazing management plan development and implementation. Partners will also provide direct one-on-one grazing management plan TA for ranchers and build workforce capacity throughout the state for TA service providers to work with ranchers to address the natural resource concerns on their land and meet their conservation goals. To effectively accomplish this, partners will conduct a needs assessment to identify the barriers of grazing management plan adoption for HU and women ranchers, and NOLs; form a committee to work towards solutions to grazing management plan adoption barriers; foster a network of service providers, farmers, ranchers, landowners, and other natural resource professionals throughout the state and develop peer-to-peer trainings; and develop soil health economic case studies and conduct outreach that demonstrate increased financial returns, as well as agronomic and environmental benefits, on grazing operations due to conservation practice adoption. Furthermore, partners will form a national Advisory Committee of internal grazing experts and external partners that will support this project with information and guidance while simultaneously learning from this project and preparing to scale its efforts geographically beyond this grant. |
| 5 | TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH | Douglas (Jeff) Goodwin Ph.D. | jeff.goodwin@ag.tamu.edu | TX, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND, CO, WY, MI | Empowering the Next Generation of Ranchers: Accessing Knowledge from a Legacy of Stewardship | Online video-sharing platforms such as YouTube have become an increasingly useful tool for producers to learn about novel management practices and strategies that can aid in achieving operational goals. The Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management, in collaboration with the National Grazing Lands Coalition, is creating a producer-focused YouTube channel dedicated to telling RanchWorthy stories that capture the challenges and triumphs of the nation’s leading grazingland managers. Through these stories, beginning farmers and ranchers will be able to conveniently access a cache of knowledge and information gathered from diverse operations and perspectives that will build the capacity to implement climate-smart grazing principles and practices. |
| 6 | TOLANI LAKE ENTERPRISES INC | Aletha Johnson | aletha@tolanilake.org | AZ, UT | Accelerating Grasslands Conservation for Native Producers | This is a training and technical assistance partnership project designed for Navajo and Hopi livestock producers that addresses cultural, language, economic, geographic, and technicalbarriers to participation in NRCS EQIP and other USDA programs. The project leverages and expands established partner programs to accelerate grasslands conservation using best conservation practices on Western Navajo Nation and Hopi. |
| 7 | COASTAL SAN LUIS RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT | Joshua Kouri | josh@coastalrcd.org | CA | Supporting Climate-Smart Grazing Through California’s Central Coast Soil Hub | The Central Coast Soil Hub will provide technical assistance, outreach and education, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities to ranchers on California’s central coast, dramatically increasing the acreage under managed grazing. The project will increase the capacity of local Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to provide technical assistance and educational services to ranchers to support local NRCS priorities and increase the adoption of Climate-Smart grazing management. The RCDs will strengthen ongoing relationships, and create new partnerships to support and sustain this work, with special emphasis on the inclusion of Historically Underserved Producers in these networks. The scope of work and all activities proposed represent gaps in capacity identified collaboratively by NRCS Field Office and RCD staff. |
| 8 | HOMER SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT | Kyra Wagner | kyra@homerswcd.org | AK | Grazing Alaska Conference: Raising Animals on the Land in the North | The Grazing Alaska Conference will increase understanding of new techniques and innovative strategies for grazing management systems that conserve grazing lands and improve animal health. This conference will create the foundation for a strong conservation ethic in Alaska by building relationships between new and experienced producers along with state and national experts. |
| 9 | THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | Kelly Beevers | kelly.beevers@tnc.org | NE, WY, CO | High Plains Collaboration to Improve Grazing Lands and Strengthen Natural Resource Management Across the Tri-State Region | The High Plains Collaboration to Improve Grazing Lands and Strengthen Natural Resource Management Across the Tri-State Region expands beyond the anchor U.S. Department of Defense Readiness & Environmental Preparedness Integration (REPI) Program-funded project at the intersection of Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. The coordinated multi-stakeholder partnership consisting of Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC), Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT), Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will support the establishment of a new rancher-led grazing network to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in the area and provide a needed conduit for producers to engage directly with F.E. Warren and various federal agencies over the long term at this critical landscape level. Additionally, the new local capacity added across the partnership will increase the climate smart grazing land technical assistance capacity in the area for farmers and ranchers in the form of coordinated pasture walks, grazing schools, follow-up assistance to create grazing and drought plans and connect ranchers to existing NRCS and NGO-led programs in the area, workshops geared specifically toward young producers, and succession planning workshops. Ultimately, the cross-state effort will support and promote well-managed grazing systems to increase the acreage that addresses natural resource concerns and provides verified conservation benefits across the region, which consists primarily of private working land and connects three National Grasslands. |
| 10 | COAST FORK WILLAMETTE WATERSHED COUNCIL | Amanda Gilbert | coordinator@coastfork.org | OR | Expanding Our Reach: increasing the adoption of climate smart management of grazing lands in Oregon’s Willamette Valley through coordinated, wrap-around landowner support. | The Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council’s Working Lands program will engage ranchers and other pasture-based producers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with education, peer-learning opportunities, and individualized technical assistance to increase the adoption of regenerative and climate-smart grazing practices. In partnership with the Oregon Pasture Network, Upper Willamette SWCD, the Center for Rural Livelihoods, and Middle Fork, & McKenzie Watershed Councils, this project will address the need for education and technical assistance for adopting managed grazing among Oregon’s Willamette Valley farmers and ranchers, with a focus on meeting the diversity of needs for support when adopting new management practices and trialing innovative approaches, particularly among new & beginning farmers. |
| 11 | MULTIPLIER | Katie Siesel | katie@workinglandsconservation.org | Main: UT, Supplemental: ID, CO, AZ (Navajo Nation) | Expanding Utah’s Grazing Lands Coalition by revitalizing existing networks, adding technical assistance capacity, and developing educational opportunities for beginning ranchers | This GLCI proposal will generate capacity for revitalized networking and outreach among rangeland stakeholders and increase the availability and accessibility of technical assistance on climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. Rangeland managers and ranchers will have more resources to develop and implement CSA projects that benefit rangeland conservation and sustain rural communities. |
| 12 | NATIONAL GRAZING LANDS COALITION | Ellen Harrell | ellen@grazinglands.org | AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, IL, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, NE, ND, OK, PA, SD, SC, TX, VT, WI, WY, Indigenous GLC | Building Capacity for State Grazing Coalitions | NatGLC will grow organizational capacity to support strong grazing coalitions that create local-grassroots-programs targeting local resource concerns. A thriving coalition brings together stakeholders within their individual communities to implement climate smart agriculture and forestry practices and principles. |
| 13 | VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY | William Crutchfield | wcrutchfield@vsu.edu | VA | Improved and Alternative Grazing Practices and Herd Management by Providing Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance for Historically Underserved and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers in Virginia | The Virginia State University proposes to conduct a Herd Improvement and Grazing Conservation Program that will provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to historically underserved, new and beginning farmers, young farmers, and veteran farmers and ranchers (NUVFR) in Virginia. This program will help to improve their operation, educate them on NRCS programs and services, and encourage the implementation of climate smart practices. |
| 14 | QUIVRIA COALITION | Sarah Wentzel-Fisher | business@quiviracoaliton.org | NM, CO, WY, MT, AZ, TX | Growing community-led, intergenerational networks of graziers in the West | This project will build upon Quivira Coalition’s existing GLCI, BFRDP, and 2501 projects to provide field days, webinars, scholarships, and other grazing education resources to beginning and historically underserved producers in the mountain West. Leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations in the region, these workshops and trainings will emphasize peer-to-peer learning and mentorship, strengthening partnerships that advance the needs of underserved communities and ensuring that communities are able to address their most pressing local natural resource concerns through better grazing management. |
| 15 | CHICO STATE ENTERPRISES | Michele Auzenne | amauzenne@csuchico.edu | CA | California Rangeland Technical Assistance and Workforce Development | The project will contribute to GLCI’s purpose to expand the footprint of well-managed grazing systems. Project activities will increase the knowledge, expertise and availability of Technical Assitance Providers (TAPs) working with underserved producers to increase their participation in new and existing grazing coalitions; create a new professional course in Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK); and expand and establish peer-to-peer networks for TAPs and grazers. The project addresses GLCI priorities to: 1) Address local natural resource concerns; 2) Utilizing Climate Smart Agriculture practices and principles; 3) Utilize ITEK; and 4) Provide workforce development and training in climate smart agriculture practices and principles. |
| 16 | THE VALLEY STEWARDSHIP NETWORK, INC. | Elizabeth Summers | beth@valleystewardshipnetwork.org | WI | Continuing Momentum for Conservation Grazing through Farmer-Led Watershed Management Initiatives, Technical Assistance, and Ecological Monitoring. | Building upon past grazing initiatives and existing relationships with farmer-led watershed councils, local supply-chain pminers, county, state, and federal offices, and university personnel, Valley Stewardship Network seeks to increase the acreage of managed grazing in Southwest Wisconsin. Project components include 1) grazing outreach and education, including mentorship by area grazers, matchmaking between landowners and custom grazers, and education to promote bird-friendly beef; 2) technical assistance for conversion to managed grazing including mapping, modeling, funding application assistance, and grazing plan writing, and 3) monitoring water quality, soil composition, and biodiversity metrics to measure pre- and post-implementation changes. |
| 17 | CALIFORNIA RANGELAND CONSERVATION COALITION | Bre Owens | bre_owens@yahoo.com | CA | California Grazing Lands Coalition - Advancing Strategic Plans, Partnerships, and Tools for Grazing Lands Resiliency | The CA Grazing Lands Coalition (CalGLC), a project of the CA Rangeland Conservation Coalition, will continue to collectively develop durable strategies to enhance technical assistance on ecologically and economically beneficial grazing strategies in the State. CalGLC is a rancher-led entity, which strives to collaborate with other organizations, agencies, and private industry to promote sound management of grazing lands as the foundation of the ranching industry and for all their adapted uses and multiple benefits to the environment and society. A strong emphasis is placed on management strategies that improve landscape resiliency and financial viability, including climate smart management systems. The CalGLC is the ideal partner hub within the State to disseminate technical information, facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and foster improved coordination and collaboration between grazing lands stakeholders, including historically underserved producers. This effort meets current needs in addressing resource challenges on grazing lands and serves as an investment in the next generation of livestock producers and grazing lands resource professionals in California. |
| 18 | WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, INC. | Ann Dvorak | ann.dvorak@wwfus.org | NE, MT | Expanding Regenerative Grazing Adoption Through Hands-on Training and Education in the Northern Great Plains | World Wildlife Fund will collaborate with three rancher-led organizations in Nebraska and Montana to increase the number of grassland acres benefiting from sustainable grazing management by strengthening and expanding grazing schools, grazing workshops, and Ranching for Profit for Young Adults offerings. The project also includes recruitment of ranchers from under-served populations, with participants receiving direct technical assistance to develop and implement grazing management plans. |
| 19 | TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE | Dr. Morgan Treadwell | morgan.treadwell@ag.tamu.edu | TX | Integrating Pyric Herbivory with Grassroots Conservation Associations | This project connects existing practitioner groups in prescribed fire and grazing with the benefits of pyric herbivory. To do this, we will use regional sustainable grazing educators and new/updated educational materials on grazing-prescribed fire interactions to support the use of climate-smart grazing practices on private lands in Texas. |
| 20 | HAWAII RANGELAND STEWARDSHIP FOUNDATION INC. | Nicole Galase | nicole@hicattle.org | HI | Grazing for the Future: Providing educational opportunities to improve pasture for today's rangeland stewards and establishing Range Camp to educate future rangeland stewards | The Hawai'i Rangeland Stewardship Foundation (HRSF) will focus on pasture improvement across the state through coordinating direct technical assistance to ranchers, providing annual Stockman Field Days, and offering Range Camp for our keiki (children). There is a lack of direct delivery of technical services to guide grazing management, understand forage diversity, mitigate invasive species threats, and access funding to implement practices. HRSF will help address this need by building the capacity of the Hawai'i Grazing Lands Coalition (HGLC) to provide technical assistance for grazing activities and by revitalizing in-person events such as Stockman Field Days and Range Camp. |
| 21 | KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY | Phillip Lancaster | palancaster@vet.k-state.edu | KS, OK | Addressing Natural Resource Concerns in the Tallgrass Prairie and Beyond Through Education, Technical Assistance and Peer Grazing Networks: Building an Education Template for U.S. Grazing Lands | The tallgrass prairie ecoregion of Kansas and Oklahoma is a remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains that extended from Texas to Canada. The Flint Hills region of tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem largely undisturbed by plowing and is important for cattle grazing, wildlife habitat, and other ecosystem services. A large generational turnover of grazing lands in the tallgrass prairie region of Kansas and Oklahoma is occurring resulting in new/beginning farmers and ranchers as well as new non-operating landowners. We will develop a series of education courses, assemble grazing networks using peer mentors, and provide technical assistance to increase adoption of climate smart grazing practices by new ranchers and landowners, as well as the Native American tribal communities in the region. The outcomes from the project will be increased acreage under managed grazing in a nationally important ecosystem as well as a template for educational programs and conservation tools that will continue to be used in other ecosystems across the U.S. |
| 22 | IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | Becky Musselman | grants@iastate.edu | IA | Enhancing Grazing Management Programming, Education, and Networking in Iowa | Our project, "Enhancing Grazing Management Programming, Education, and Networking in Iowa," combines the technical expertise of Iowa State University Extension with the extensive farmer networks of Practica Farmers of Iowa to build community and connections among livestock graziers. This initiative includes wintertime social events and a series of classroom and in-the-field grazing educational activities, with iterations in Spanish to reach underserved producers. A grazing trailer equipped with essential supplies will support hands-on activities and in-person demonstrations. Our goal is to foster networks among farmers and experts for future growth and to serve all Iowans effectively. |
| 23 | LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL CENTER | Kun-Jun Han Ph.D. | Khan@agcenter.lsu.edu | LA | Demonstration of Enhanced Pasture Monitoring using Existing and Novel Technology | The aim of this initiative is to showcase the efficiency of tracking pasture health outcomes stemming from varied management practices, utilizing both established methods and emerging technologies. Project attendees will be invited to partake in structured assessments of pasture health, along with pasture and soil sampling activities, complemented by educational workshops. Furthermore, the project will introduce the utilization of drone-captured images of pastures as a tool for assessing their condition, providing producers with insights into the practical uses of this technology. |
| 24 | WALLOWA RESOURCES | Marci Schreder | marci@wallowaresources.org | OR | Empowering Northeastern Oregon’s Ranching Community through Management Planning, Capacity Building and Peer-to-Peer Learning | The rural communities of northeastern Oregon are defined by close ties to the land and natural resource-based economies. However, generational transitions, changing market dynamics and ecological threats—such as invasive species, altered wildfire cycles and increasing instances of drought—present many challenges to the area’s ranch operators. In an effort to support rural communities and landscape conservation, the proposed project leverages an established network of collaborators and an existing technical assistance effort to 1) substantively increase the number of rangeland properties operating with sound and durable management plans within an imperiled grassland landscape of national significance, 2) deliver high-demand ranching skill sets directly to livestock operators with specific emphasis on financial accessibility for underserved audiences, and 3) convene local and regional rangeland managers and stakeholders via an in-person summit to foster relationship building and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. |
| 25 | GLACIERLAND RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCILE, INC | Kari Divine | office@glacierlandrcd.org | WI | Advancing Managed Rotational Grazing Climate Smart Agriculture Across Eastern Wisconsin In Partnership with Producer Led Watershed Protection Groups | Glacierland Resource Conservation & Development Council, INC (Glacierland) will use a three-tiered approach to expand managed rotational grazing climate smart agriculture across Eastern Wisconsin, with an emphasis on historically underserved farmers. Glacierland will 1) provide technical assistance to farmers by developing grazing management plans and assisting with implementation of climate smart agriculture practices, 2) build the grazing capacity of producer-led watershed protection groups through Champion Graziers, Grazing Mentors, and pasture walk/workshop events, and 3) expand knowledge of the processes, practices, and benefits of grazing among diverse collegiate groups.This project will help achieve 4 of the 5 GLCI goals and objectives by increasing acres of managed grazing and the availability of climate smart grazing land technical assistance, expanding grazing networks and supporting mentors, and expanding the grazing community to include minority institutions. |
| 26 | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS | Leslie Roche | lmroche@ucdavis.edu | CA | Advancing climate-smart grazing lands: Empowering collaborative conservation through extension, outreach, and training through community networks | California's extensive grazing lands, which hold considerable economic, ecological, and social value, are facing significant threats from climate change. Adoption of climate-smart conservation practices could enhance grazing lands resilience, yet economic and social barriers, especially for underserved communities, hinder widespread implementation. Leveraging trusted community networks like UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) can improve access to resources and support for diverse ranching communities, increase sustainably managed acreage, and help build a climate-ready workforce. The proposed project aims to utilize our team’s interdisciplinary expertise and collaborative networks to launch a comprehensive education, outreach, and training program to address USDA NRCS GLCI priorities of targeting local natural resource concerns, promoting adoption of climate-smart practices, building partnerships with underserved communities, and implementing innovative strategies to track conservation benefits from grazing management systems. |
| 27 | ROLLING HILLS RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, INC. | Jeffery Tumlin | jt@rollinghillsrcd.net | GA | Rolling Hills Georgia Forage and Grassland Council Partnership to Improve Grazing Management in Georgia | The Rolling Hills RCD/ Georgia Forage and Grassland Council Partnership to Improve Grazing Management in Georgia seeks to Increase managed grazing acres in the state of Georgia, while improving natural resource concerns in our state through our grazers. This program will educate producers in the art and science of grazing and introduce them to the latest technology within the grazing industry. We aim to introduce experienced grazers to those who may be new to the practice in a mentor/mentee role. The partnership will also focus on getting Historically Underserved Producers to attend our events to gain grazing management knowledge and improve grazing and the natural resources in and around their operations. |
| 28 | GOLDEN SANDS RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL INCORPORATED | Amy Thorstenson | amy.thorstenson@goldensandsrcd.org | WI | Building the Buzz about Grazing in Central Wisconsin | This project will fund 1 full-time equivalent Grazing Specialist and 1 summer intern. We will address local grassland habitat concerns in priority grassland bird areas, provide improved managed grazing technical assistance to family farms across central Wisconsin, and improve access to this technical assistance in underserved communities. |
| 29 | MONTANA GRAZING LANDS CONSERVATION INITIATIVE COALITION, INC. | Rick Caquelin | racaquelin@gmail.com | MT | Facilitating Collaboration: Education, Innovation, and Improved Delivery of Technical Assistance on Montana Rangelands | The project brings together diverse partners in Montana for the purpose of shared learning and enhanced delivery of grazing lands conservation to build ecological and economic resiliency. By facilitating an active and robust peer network, providing targeted technical assistance and investing in the next generation of livestock producers and grazing lands resource professionals, rural and tribal communities’ resource concerns will be addressed, providing a strong statewide network for collaborative conservation to benefit grazing lands stewards for decades to come. |
Additional Information
Initiative
Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative
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.
