Rangeland Management Program

Coordinated Resource Management

Rangeland management on Arizona’s State Trust land is a mutual effort between the Land Department and its grazing lessees. Livestock grazing takes place on more acres of State Trust land than any other use. This is due to the remoteness, aridity and lack of infrastructure, such a waterlines, roads, sewers and utilities that make land attractive for development. This reality is not expected to change to any great degree in the near future.

Rangeland Management Responsibilities

developing Coordinated Resource Management Plans for grazing leases

conducting rangeland monitoring

conducting clearances on range improvement and land treatment projects to prevent or mitigate the impacts of theses projects on protected plant, wildlife and cultural resources

providing recommendations to the Real Estate Division for preventing or mitigating the impacts of commercial, right of way and sales projects on State Trust rangeland

coordinating efforts with federal and private land managers

providing Land Department representation to various collaborative groups which are addressing rangeland management issues

Sources of Funding for Rangeland Management

The Arizona Legislature does not provide any funding for the Land Department to institute any agency initiated management practices on State Trust rangeland. The Land Department relies on its grazing lessees to expend their own money to initiate management practices on their leases.

Such management practices are water sources (such as wells and stocktanks), water distribution systems (pipelines), handling facilities (corrals), livestock control measures (fencing), and various types of land treatments to remove undesirable vegetation species or plant desired vegetation species (prescribed fire, grubbing, agra-axe, root plowing, chaining, herbicides, reseeding).

Such management practices, when implemented as part of a Coordinated Resources Management Plan, can provide a grazing lessee more flexibility in planning grazing to insure plant health and stability, and proper nutrient and energy cycling.