To Graze or Not To Graze

Benefits of Grazing 

Managed or "prescribed" grazing is good for the environment. A grass covered sod is the best protection against soil erosion and runoff. The vegetation and soils on grazing lands are a large reservoir for organic carbon. Properly managed, grazing lands help reduce atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and may reduce greenhouse gas accumulation. Private grazing lands provide habitat for two-thirds of our wildlife, water for urban and other users, and visually appealing open space.

 
Sheep grazing in Virginia

 Grazing Fees Controversy

Farmers and ranchers pay a fee to graze their livestock on land that is owned by the federal government. The fee is $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM). An AUM is the amount of forage it takes to feed a cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep and goats for one month. Some people think that grazing fees are too low, because they are well below the cost of leasing private land. But what they fail to realize is that it usually takes more acres of public land to graze livestock. Ranchers incur much higher costs on public than private land because they are responsbile for making improvements to the land, such as building and repairing fences and developing water sources. They also have to share the land with other uses: mining, forestry, wildlife, hunting, and recreation.

 Overgrazing

Sheep can graze very close to the ground and like other livestock will overgraze, if they are allowed to. Overgrazing can lead to loss of vegetation and soil erosion. However, it can be prevented with good grazing practices.

Click HERE to learn how sheep grazing can benefit the environment.

. . New Words . .

Prescribed grazing - the controlled harvest of vegetation with grazing animals, managed with the intent to achieve a specific objective.

Erosion - wearing away of the land by the action of water, ice or wind.

Runoff - that part of precipitation, snowmelt, or irrigation water that flows from the land to streams or other surface waters.

Overgrazing - Destruction and degradation of natural plant community when grazing animals over consume.

Public Domain - the territory belonging to a State or to the general government; public lands.

Animal Unit Month (AUM) - the quantity of forage required by one mature cow and her calf (or the equivalent, in sheep, goats, or horses) for one month.