Society for Range Management Spotlight

Sublette County hosts one of Wyoming’s highest concentrations of natural resource managers. Landowners and land managers have access to resources to support them in stewarding their lands, whether as a working ranch, a home for wildlife, a quiet, unspoiled stretch of nature, or all three! Further, dozens of experts are available to help locate and interpret these resources. For newer operators and seasoned experts, simple steps exist to create a slice of heaven on earth and work harmoniously with Wyoming’s elements. Monitoring a property, staying updated on new research, taking advantage of cost-share opportunities, and getting expert advice can make a landowner more adaptive and their landscape more resilient.

Producers in the Green River Basin seamlessly blend traditional ranching with the preservation of open landscapes that support livestock and native wildlife, honoring the region’s rich agricultural heritage. The Wyoming Section of the Society for Range Management (SRM) combines generational knowledge with modern science so that managers of rangelands and wildlife habitats have the best information available. Achieving a balance between science, local history, and culture is a source of pride in western Wyoming and aligns with SRM’s goals. SRM boasts a diverse membership as a professional organization that includes academics, private industry representatives, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, students, landowners, and agriculture producers. SRM emphasizes rigorous research on various management techniques to stay informed about best practices and publishes two peer-reviewed journals, including Rangelands and Rangeland Ecology and Management.

According to Russell Burton, the 2025 Wyoming SRM Section President, and Bree Burton, the Wyoming SRM Section secretary, who call Sublette County home and are highly experienced in rangeland management; some of the biggest challenges that landowners in Sublette County face include managing invasive species, coexisting with wildlife, addressing aging infrastructure, leveraging opportunities for modern technology, and managing for climatic variability such as drought. It all starts with understanding what you have. “You can’t manage what you don’t monitor,” says Russell, “just like a bank account or your health. SRM can help a landowner figure out where they are and what they should do, and put that landowner in contact with a network of experts and resources.” One key aspect that SRM has expertise in is balancing livestock grazing needs with the habitat needs of the Green River region’s unique wildlife community. This includes outcome-based grazing practices, rangeland and habitat management, wildlife-friendly fencing for migrating big game species, and managing riparian areas to provide water for livestock and late-summer habitat for greater sage-grouse.

Owners of conservation easements can benefit from partnering with SRM, especially agricultural producers looking for a better bottom line and land managers aiming to maximize ecological function in our high desert ecosystem. Both are seeking sustainability on the landscape. “Conservation easements can help facilitate SRM’s goals of intact, healthy landscapes. There are common goals of keeping American agriculture on the ground, keeping open spaces functioning, and not being converted to development,” says Russell. “It’s a win-win for landscape connectivity, wildlife management, and sustainability of agriculture.”  Easement owners and agricultural operators can explore SRM’s Good Grazing Makes Cent$. On this platform, producers can connect with science-based information on how well-managed grazing benefits land health, livestock productivity, and ranch profitability.

Visit the GRVP Landowner Resource Hub and the Rangeland Management section to find the Society for Range Management and Good Grazing Makes Cent$, along with other local resources for managing sustainable rangelands, weed and pest control, habitat enhancements, wildlife-friendly fencing, and more.