On the Ground • Maintaining cattle and prairie dogs on rangelands is important ecologically, economically, and culturally. However, competition between these species, both actual and perceived, has led to conflict. • We explored the effects of short-term (2-year) cattle exclusion on plant communities both on and off prairie dog towns and among three common ecological sites. • Plant communities were different between on-town and off-town plots and among ecological sites but were similar between cattle-excluded and nonexcluded plots. • Plant community composition did not differ between rangeland targeted for moderate forage utilization and that in which cattle had been excluded for 2 years.

On the Ground • The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation comprises 2.3 million acres, primarily rangeland, straddling the North DakotaSouth Dakota border. • Natural resource management is economically and culturally important to the Standing Rock community. • Respecting traditional ways of thinking and placing stakeholders and their needs at the center are key aspects of project development. • Native Americans were the original natural resource managers on our rangelands, and their thoughts and expertise can provide guidance to rangeland managers now and in the future.

On the Ground • When scientists or change agents engage other cultures to problem-solve, there is a high risk of miscommunication and project failure. • This process can be further crippled by traditionally rigid, top-down academic approaches that focus investigators on predefined issues lacking relevance to the top-priority concerns of local communities. • Participatory, adaptive methods of public engagement, in contrast, are now being increasingly used in such situations. They help researchers work more effectively by building more authentic partnerships with stakeholders so that real problems and sustainable solutions can be identified. • Such methods can also promote insightful, interdisciplinary science and more effective public service.

On the Ground • A collaborative effort to create an innovative food production system is underway on the Standing Rock Lakota Reservation. • Three land-grant universities and colleges, along with United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, are conducting research as a foundation to begin planning for on-the-ranch production of healthier meat. • This collaborative project uses the Lakota philosophy of natural resource management and in this paper I urge more. • I recommend additional research to develop investigations of relationships between cattle and the native food and medicine plants that also reside within the pasture.

On the Ground • One objective of the ongoing Renewal on Standing Rock Reservation project is to evaluate the response of grazing steers to the level of prairie dog colonization on Northern Mixed Grass Prairie. • We fenced four pastures to create an increasing gradient of a proportion of the pasture area colonized by prairie dogs. Pastures are stocked with yearling steers during each growing season. • Comparing steer performance, Global Positioning System (GPS) locations of grazing, diet samples, and ingestive behavior at each proportion of the prairie dog colony per pasture allows prediction of the optimal proportion of colonization, which enables selection of the most balanced diet for cattle to meet performance goals. • Additionally, it will allow recommendation of management options for any given level of prairie dog colonization to optimize cattle nutrient intake.

On the Ground • Cattle within riparian zones can negatively impact water quality and riparian health, which are important environmental concerns for grazing lands. • Best management practices (BMPs) help mitigate agricultural pollution. Since BMPs are primarily voluntary, stakeholder acceptance is critical, and agricultural producers need BMPs that are relevant to their operation and will not negatively impact production. • Alternative shade has been suggested as a water quality BMP, with both environmental and agricultural benefits. After implementing the nonriparian shade structure, a 30% average reduction was observed in the time cattle spent within the riparian zone.

On the Ground • Because humans depend on rangelands for a wide variety of ecosystem goods and services, they have a large stake in research that explores supply and demand for those goods and services. • Scientists and science users who ranked 142 separate rangeland issues chose a socio-economic concern as most pressing: How to help rural communities plan for, adapt to, and recover from impacts of increased social, economic, and ecological variability. • Cross-jurisdictional stewardship is required to address many rangeland problems, so it is important to find ways to encourage and assist collaborative management efforts. • Decision makers and citizens need better ways to sift through the conflicting claims and conclusions available from a growing number of information sources. • Rangeland communities, and the land itself, require a steady supply of individuals who are both willing and able to choose careers in rangeland occupations.