Rancher Sees Rangeland Improvement Through Grazing System

Keith Raty says he got into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in 1998 with one goal in mind: to increase his ranch’s carrying capacity by better utilizing the resources he has. And according to Talana Traub, soil conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he has done just that.

Raty runs 300 head of cows in the Bears Paw mountains area of Blaine County. His contract with NRCS included three components for his rotational grazing system: cross fencing, spring developments, and streambank stabilization.

Under Raty’s rotational grazing system, he moves the cattle fast in the spring and slower through the latter part of the year. “It’s a lot of work to move the cows, but it’s definitely worth it because you get way more use out of the ground,” Raty said.

Spring developments have been a key part of Raty’s grazing system. “The spring developments have let me graze areas that were not used well in the past,” Raty said, citing better use of his high mountain meadows. “The springs have drawn the cows to higher elevations, which has kept them out of the creek bottoms.”

Cross fences have also been instrumental in being able to implement the grazing system. Raty installed two fences making two separate riparian area pastures. “Even with the drought conditions we have experienced four of the six years this contract has been in place, this system has had positive effects,” Traub said.

Keeping the cattle out of the creeks had an unforeseen benefit. Traub explained that Raty’s original contract included a streambank stabilization project on Clear Creek, a small creek that runs through his property.

“When we went out there this spring to stake out the location for the stabilization project, we couldn’t find a spot that needed any work,” Traub said.

In five years, the raw bank had a chance to heal itself. “It was probably in bad shape because of heavy spring runoff and grazing pressure,” Raty said. “With those factors gone, the creek bank had a chance to heal.”

Raty’s work through his EQIP contract has had another benefit he couldn’t have seen in 1998.

“I started this project wanting to increase my cow numbers, but we didn’t get to do that because of the drought,” Raty said. “But I think the fact that we didn’t have to sell cows and have been able to maintain our herd, even during a drought, is very good.”

Raty said his goal was not to prepare for a drought, but that’s exactly what he did. “If we hadn’t done this project, we would not have been in good shape to handle a drought. I think the fact that we have been able to hold everything together is a sign that we are doing something right.”

Traub said she can attest to that. She said the rangeland monitoring sites established at the beginning of Raty’s contract have been hard to find simply because there is so much grass on his ranch. “You can see his success in the health of his rangeland.”

Last Modified: 05/25/2005