What are rangelands?

Rangelands are extensive, uncultivated landscapes that are dominated by naturally established vegetation predominately utilized by domestic and wild grazings/browsing mammals. Rangelands can be distinguished from intensively managed pasturelands as they are primarily natural ecosystems with native vegetation rather than established vegetation introduced by humans (https://esa.org/rangeland/about/). 

Rangeland Health Improvement Program

The Crook County Natural Resource District is pleased to announce the opportunity to participate in a brand-new Rangeland Health Improvement Program (RHIP).  The CCNRD is partnering with the Old West Invitational Turkey Shoot to offer RHIP to Crook County producers for the purpose of improving Crook County’s native rangelands. RHIP offers various opportunities, including but not limited to, increasing native forage production by removing invasive species, re-seeding native vegetation into grazing pastures, conducting erosion control using low-tech practices, implementing woody encroachment management, etc. Treatment designs are intended to open up rangelands to create more wildlife and livestock grazing availability, improve roosting and nesting for birds (e.g. turkeys and grouse), limit water usage from undesirable vegetation, etc. Please contact Justice Miller at jbmiller.ccnrd@gmail.com, call (307) 281-7053, or feel free to stop by our office in the Sundance USDA Service Center with any inquiries regarding RHIP or rangelands in Crook County. 

The link for CCNRD's RHIP application can be found below.

RHIP_App_2026_Final.pdf