Economic Impact of Range Improvements on Livestock Operators

The topic I have been asked to address today represents a major portion of the work I have done during my professional career. It is an area where I have considerable personal interest but it also represents an area where much work has been done by others. Before I discuss the issue assigned however, I believe that a few bases must be touched to enable all of us to meet on common ground

IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS ROLES AND EVALUATION METHODS OF EXTENSION ECONOMISTS AS VIEWED BY EXTENSION ADMINISTRATORS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND SPECIALISTS

A survey of extension administrators, department heads, and extension specialists was conducted to determine the best methods for evaluating the performance of extension economists. The results demonstrate how different groups view the relative importance of the various roles played by extension economists and how important the specific attributes of extension economists are within each role. In general all three groups agree on the most important roles and attributes. However, important differences among the groups do exist about the relative importance of certain activities.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

ON THE CHOICE BETWEEN THE STOCKING RATE AND TIME IN RANGE MANAGEMENT

A long standing question in range management concerns the relative importance of the stocking rate versus the length of time during which animals graze a particular rangeland. We address this question by analyzing the problem faced by a private rancher who wishes to minimize the long run expected net unit cost (LRENC) from range operations by choosing either the stocking rate or the length of time during which his animals graze his rangeland. We construct a renewal-theoretic model and show that, in general, this rancher's LRENC with an optimally chosen stocking rate is lower than his LRENC with an optimally chosen grazing cycle length.Livestock Production/Industries,

A DYNAMIC AND STOCHASTIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF TIME IN RANGE MANAGEMENT

This chapter uses a new ecological-economic approach to analyze the role of time in range management in a dynamic and stochastic setting. We first construct a theoretical model of a parcel of rangeland in which time restrictions are used to manage the land. We then show how the dynamic and the stochastic properties of this rangeland can be used to construct two managerial objectives that are ecologically and economically meaningful. Finally, using these two objectives, we discuss an approach to range management in which the manager has two interrelated goals. This manager maximizes the profits from range operations and (s)he also takes steps to move the rangeland away from the least desirable state of existence.Land Economics/Use, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Livestock or Crops, Land Conversion and Rancher/ Farmer Adjustments

Let me preface my remarks today by saying that essentially very little empirical work has been done in this area. Thus the examples that I will use are hypothetical and will differ from the actual adjustments that will occur in the area being emphasized at this conference

An economic evaluation of the range improvements administered by the Bureau of Land Management in the Vale District of Oregon

The federal government has spent considerable sums of money to rehabilitate range lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These investments have had varying effects on the production and utilization of forage on these lands. One of the most surprising results, according to BLM officials, of the investments undertaken during the Vale Project has been the increased productivity of native lands in the Vale District of the BLM. This study was initiated to examine these effects and to evaluate the investments that have been undertaken during the project. The theoretical relationships that exist between the production, utilization, and administration of resources were developed to explain how various range improvements may affect forage production. This body of theory was also used to develop two hypotheses. The first hypothesis stated that increased forage production on native lands in the Vale District have resulted from increased forage production on improved areas. The second hypothesis stated that increased forage on improved areas have resulted from increased production of native areas in the Vale District. Parameters of a system of simultaneous equations were estimated by least squares using cost and forage response data obtained from BLM officials at the Vale District. Statistical tests, based on the preceding parameter estimates, indicated that forage production on native lands has been significantly affected by forage production on improved areas (first hypothesis). These tests also indicated that increased forage production on native areas has increased the production of forage on improved areas. Parameter estimates were also used to evaluate the returns necessary to earn a five percent return on the investments undertaken during the Vale Project. This evaluation indicated that an Animal Unit Month (AUM) of federal forage must be worth more than $6.00 for spray and seed areas,$5.00 for spray areas, $2.50 for native areas,$2.00 for plow and seed areas, and $1.00 for Old Rehab areas. Three major conclusions were derived from the results of this study. First, utilization rates have significant bearing on the returns that may be expected from an investment for range improvement. Second, investments that increase the production of forage in one area can affect the production of forage in other areas if utilization practices (management of the forage resource) such as those used by the BLM are followed. Third, many of the rehabilitation projects that have been undertaken by the BLM during the Vale Project have yielded less than a five percent return on the investments

Grand County Agriculture Profile

This publication includes a report that gives agricultural facts and statistics pertaining to Grand County

San Juan County Agriculture Profile

This publication includes a report that gives agricultural facts and statistics pertaining to San Juan County

Salt Lake County Agriculture Profile

This publication includes a report that gives agricultural facts and statistics pertaining to Salt Lake County