A hundred ways to sustain grasslands and ranchers now at your fingertips: New online tool

A new online tool is being launched today with nearly 100 beneficial management practices aimed at ranchers, conservation organizations, government and academic institutions in North America. Ranging from local techniques to national and continental approaches, the tool contains a wealth of practical and innovative ideas for conserving and restoring native grasslands and boosting the economic stability of ranchers.

To access the tool, visit: http://www.cec.org/grasslands.

North America's grasslands—and the species that inhabit them—are coming under increasing pressure from climate change, residential development, oil and gas extraction, and the expansion of cash crop production. As one of the most sustainable forms of agriculture, ranching has the potential to conserve remaining native grasslands, restore degraded landscapes, and reverse the loss of North America's most threatened terrestrial ecoregion.

With the online tool, ranching and stewardship best practices can be searched geographically or thematically according to eight management categories, such as Grazing Management, Water Resource Management and Invasive Species and Pest Management. The tool also contains a "Featured Stories" section, with inspiring examples of ranchers across the continent who are using these techniques to conserve grasslands and improve their economic bottom line. In the tool's "Overarching Practices" section, high-level guidance is offered to assist ranchers, conservationists, and policy makers in making sound management decisions that achieve both economic and conservation objectives. Available in English, French and Spanish, the tool also features a glossary of terms and a resources section.

"The online tool contains cutting-edge grasslands conservation and management practices and captures the technical knowledge gained over generations by ranchers across the continent," said Karen Richardson, Program Manager for Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems, Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). "We encourage users to send us additional publications and case studies to expand the online tool and make it a truly dynamic and continental product."

The CEC would like as many North Americans as possible to have access to this tool, so please feel free to embed it or link to http://www.nagrasslands.org on your personal or institutional website.