Are Landowners, Managers, and Range Management Academics on the Same Page About Conservation?

Abstract

Conservation of California rangelands hinges on partnerships among ranchers, agency and nongovernmental organization managers, and academics. A “sustainable use” perspective on conservation was predominate among ranchers, whereas a more preservation-oriented perspective was common among managers; the perspective of academics was in between the two. Conservation priorities among ranchers and managers largely overlapped, except that ranchers prioritized livestock production and ranch succession, and managers prioritized habitat protection. Land use change was a shared concern among the three groups. Opportunities for rangeland conservation included improving communication among diverse stakeholders and applying recent scientific developments to on-the-ground range management.