LandSmart® Grazing Public Lands
This Project has an Update in progress.
Project Overview
Basics
Planning/Design
Gold Ridge RCD, in partnership with Sonoma RCD, plans to expand LandSmart Grazing Program to public lands. This project supports targeted livestock grazing to reduce fuel loads, improve community wildfire safety, and fund infrastructure projects. Grazing, paired with education for permanent or rotating herds and grazer support, offers a cost-effective tool for managing vegetation on public lands, reducing fire risks, and enhancing biodiversity in a carbon-beneficial way.
2023
2024
2026
3/6/2025
Project Attributes
Census Tract Income
None
Direct Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
None
EnviroScreen
None
Free and Reduced Lunch
None
Indirect Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
None
Tribal Engagement (True/False)
None
Tribal Engagement
None
Location
Organizations
| Funders | |
| Lead Implementer | |
| Partners | |
| Primary RCD | |
| Other Partners | Wild Oat Hollow, Sonoma RCD, Contract Graziers |
Contacts
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ac.) | Conservation Practice : 528 - Prescribed Grazing Operation Type: Public Land | 500 acres |
| Events | Event Type: Technical Training | 2 |
| Events | Event Type: Workshop | 2 |
| Fuels Reduction | CAL FIRE UNIT: Sonoma-Lake Napa Project Objective: Forest Resiliency Property Ownership: Local Treatment Type: Prescribed Grazing | 500 acres |
| People Participating in Activity | Constituent Type: Municipal Employees Primary Service Type: Workshops | 22 |
| People Participating in Activity | Constituent Type: Agricultural Community Primary Service Type: Techncial Assistance | 24 |
Reported Performance Measures
Reported Performance Measures are not relevant for Projects in the Planning/Design stage.
Financials
Budget
| Comment: | None provided |
|---|
Reported Expenditures
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Conservancy (SCC) | $2,677.67 | $185,244.21 | $23,939.96 | $211,861.84 |
| Vegetation Management Project Grant (SONCO) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,339.00 | $3,339.00 |
| Grand Total | $2,677.67 | $185,244.21 | $27,278.96 | $215,200.84 |
| Note: | None provided |
|---|
Project Themes
Project Themes
Improvements to soil health, encouragement of native plant growth, improved soil water holding capacity, sustainable local food production, increased carbon sequestration, decreased wildlife disturbance compared to other vegetation treatments, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a sense of enterprise in being able to support one's community resilience.
Provide public workshops on topics of choosing the best vegetation treatment and successful application of target grazing. Create permanent educational resources on grazing for fire resilience in the form of fact sheets.
Fuel reduction through vegetation treatment prescriptions that focus on reducing fire hazard, improving defensible space, and increasing forest resilience. Targeted grazing or prescribed herbivory is also used for vegetation management and is beneficial for air quality, noise, proximity to structures, steep slopes, and areas with noxious weeds. . Grazing reduces flame length and fire intensity, and can therefore shift grasses from a highly flammable and effective fire spreader into a natural fire barrier.
Project Details
Attachments
Current Funded Projects
- Uploaded On
- 11/20/2024
- File Type
- Description
- A short description of each project and the funding allocation.
Small Ruminant Stockmanship Workshop Details
- Uploaded On
- 11/20/2024
- File Type
- Description
- The Small Ruminant Stockmanship Workshop will be delivered as part of a professional development program aimed at enhancing livestock handling skills, particularly for small ruminants. The workshop will provide theoretical and practical training on understanding and working with small ruminants in a humane, efficient, and low-stress manner.
Case Study Highlights UC Cooperative Extension
- Uploaded On
- 11/20/2024
- File Type
- Description
- Purpose: The purpose of this series of case studies is to document the different grazing programs and collaboratives in Sonoma County and highlight that there is not a one-size fits all approach to utilizing livestock and grazing as a tool for vegetation management and land stewardship. It is a goal of these case studies to show that there are many ways grazing programs and collaboratives can be set up and function effectively. Whether you are a single property owner or have neighborhood buy-in, grazing for vegetation management is possible and can be adapted to best suit your goals.
Series of Case Studies on Collaborative Grazing in Sonoma County, CA, prepared by UC Cooperative Extension
- Uploaded On
- 11/20/2024
- File Type
- Description
- The purpose of this series of case studies is to document the different grazing programs and collaboratives in Sonoma County and highlight that there is not a one-size fits all approach to utilizing livestock and grazing as a tool for vegetation management and land stewardship. It is a goal of these case studies to show that there are many ways grazing programs and collaboratives can be set up and function effectively. Whether you are a single property owner or have neighborhood buy-in, grazing for vegetation management is possible and can be adapted to best suit your goals.
No attachments
Notes
No Notes entered.