For ranchers in the West, wildlife matters. Healthy wildlife habitat on western ranches can translate into a few good outcomes.
First, good habitat can mean good hunting and fishing. Second, it can mean long-term income for ranchers who might lease hunting and fishing access to outfitters. Finally, some western ranches double as hunting and fishing lodges. Healthy wildlife habitat on western ranches is important for the bottom line.
But there are challenges. Habitat improvement can be expensive. And, it can be a recurring cost. How can it be done affordably?
State and federal agencies can help with healthy habitat
The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation makes it possible for state and federal agencies to help private landowners improve wildlife habitat. Under the model, all wildlife across North America is held in trust for the people. In other words, there are no “king’s deer” in the U.S. and Canada. The deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, upland birds that move across private land and trout that migrate through rivers on private land belong to the people.
This may be frustrating for some ranch owners who host large populations of huntable wildlife, or who have great trout streams running through their land. But this also makes it possible for agencies to help fund habitat work and ensure healthy wildlife habitat on western ranches.
And, it’s not as hard as you might think to get some funding to improve habitat on your ranch.
Partners for Fish and Wildlife focus on healthy ranch habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a great program for landowners who want to ensure healthy habitat on western ranches. Called Partners for Fish and Wildlife, the program can provide free technical guidance and even help fund fish and wildlife improvement efforts on your ranch.
What’s more, the USFWS can help you identify other sources of funding to help create or restore healthy wildlife habitat on western ranches. If, for instance, you’re looking to improve trout habitat in a stream that flows across your land, the program might recommend you speak to a biologist at Trout Unlimited. TU has access to grant funding, and, with a modest investment on the part of the landowner, it can help with habitat projects, even if they are on private property.
These improvement projects can include anything from in-stream structure placement, willow plantings, and rewatering historic stream channels to planting important native grasses to enhance big-game and upland bird habitat on private land. The idea is simple: fish and game move around. They migrate. Offering healthy habitat on western ranches will improve the health and numbers of the animals.
And that, of course, translates into better hunting and fishing. And, for ranch real estate owners, it translates into more opportunity for everything from landowner hunting tags and bigger, more sought-after trophies frequenting their land.
Regardless of where ranch owners live in the West, there are opportunities to tap into funding assistance to make fishing and hunting better on their land. Fish and game agencies from Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Montana all have Partners for Fish and Wildlife programs that landowners can work with to ensure healthy habitat on western ranches.
Final word on habitat on western ranches
Fish and game in the West are important to hunters and anglers. For western ranch owners, the presence of big game and quality trout almost always depends on intact habitat. The idea of spending money to improve fish and game habitat on a ranch might sound onerous. But there are funding sources that can make such projects doable.
And, over time, a modest investment coupled with funding assistance from programs like Partners for Fish and Wildlife, will pay for itself. Landowner tags, the ability to lease fishing and hunting access and even the ability to operate an on-site fishing or hunting lodge all depend on healthy habitat.
It’s easier than you might think to find funding help. Not only will you be helping improve the health of fish and wildlife, you’ll be adding value to your ranch real estate.
