"In Every Rancher's Mind": Effects of Drought on Ranch Planning and Practice

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title

Rangelands

Publisher

Elsevier

Publication Date

8-1-2016

Volume

38

Issue

4

First Page

216

Last Page

221

Abstract

  • Ranchers'’ responses to drought differ depending on where they live and specific circumstances of their ranches, but there are striking similarities across regions.
  • Changes in practice after a drought reflect a general desire to buffer one's operation against disruptions, rather than being specifically aimed at the next drought.
  • Interviewees often pointed to good things that arose from the bad situation of drought.
  • Energy development helped offset drought impacts in two cases, but interviewees generally preferred to diversify their income streams through agricultural rather than non-agricultural enterprises.
  • Ability to respond to drought is somewhat constrained by federal tax laws and agency grazing regulations, as well as by ranchers' specific circumstances.

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