Conserving Wyoming’s Ranches Conserves Habitat for Wildlife

Lander, WY—June 8, 2005—Each spring, sage grouse and their chicks walk overland from nests on Twin Creek Ranch to summer range in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains—logging 20 miles and 1,000 feet in elevation over some rough country. A lesser-known migration than those of the elk and antelope, it is perhaps the more remarkable when one considers the differences between the species.

This unique and essential habitat will remain the domain of these sage grouse and the abundance of other wildlife which frequent the area, due to an innovative collaboration between ranchers Tony and Andrea Malmberg, the USDA’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) which is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and The Nature Conservancy.

Twin Creek Ranch
© Joe Kiesecker

Matching funds granted by the NRCS were utilized for the purchase of a conservation easement on almost 5,000 deeded acres at Twin Creek Ranch. The easement prevents development of the property, except for ranching and agricultural purposes. The Malmbergs contributed half of the match and The Nature Conservancy is raising the remainder through private contributions.

"We didn’t want to develop the ranch, but needed to buy out some retiring partners and raise some working capital. By selling the development rights instead of the development, we are able to keep the ranch intact and know it will be in the future too," said Tony Malmberg, whose family began ranching the property over a quarter of a century ago. "Often, ranches are broken up to compensate siblings, heir interests and other business dissolutions. The only thing left are home sites. By dividing and selling the development rights—instead of the property—the viability of working ranches, wildlife migration corridors and the quality of life in rural communities can be passed on to future generations."

Conservation Context
Twin Creek Ranch, which encompasses more than 16,000 acres of deeded and public land, lies between the southern Wind River Mountains and the northern Red Desert. Ranging in elevation from 5,800 to 7,500 feet, the ranch provides a home to most of the game species found in Wyoming and habitat for a large variety of migratory songbirds, several species of waterfowl, numerous small mammals, and at least four rare plants. The property is surrounded by BLM land and other working ranches.

"One of the key threats to the American West is the fragmentation of large ranches, many of which encompass vast areas of natural land and multitudes of wildlife," said Andrea Erickson, Wyoming State Director for The Nature Conservancy. "One of the most important things we can do to conserve wildlife habitat is to keep ranchers on the land." Development activity is accelerating in the western states. The American Farmland Trust estimates that 2.6 million acres of private ranchland in Wyoming could be converted to residential development by 2020.

Award-winning Stewardship
Ranchers Tony and Andrea Malmberg are dedicated to promoting Holistic ManagementTM practices on Twin Creek Ranch and regularly engage with other ranchers, governmental organizations, universities, and non-profit organizations at the local, nationals and international levels. The ranch has served as a site for long-term studies of sage grouse behavior and survivability conducted by the University of Wyoming and the Game and Fish Department’s COOP unit. A beaver study on Twin Creek Ranch analyzed the relationship between grazing and water quality and grazing on the ranch is now managed to promote beaver activity, thus improving riparian habitat. These efforts resulted in a 50% increase in bird populations and a 70% increase in diversity.

Tony Malmberg has received numerous awards for his stewardship, including the 2004 Landowner of the Year Award from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the 1997 Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

New Times, New Ideas
Tony and Andrea Malmberg have instituted many changes to their ranch operations. They operate a unique guest ranch business which caters to "eco-tourists" from around the world. Guests come and help get the cattle work done, learn about sustainable development and explore the rich wildlife habitat on the ranch and the public lands adjacent to it. Andrea serves up "Country Cuisine" featuring ranch-raised food in the beautiful log lodge, which can accommodate a variety of social occasions or business meetings. "We have become increasingly respectful of the ranch and the animals which live on it – both wild and domestic," said Andrea. "Moreover, we have developed a keen interest in our customers. Our guests and the customers who buy our grass-finished "Beyond Organic Beef" are more than customers. They are co-creators."

There have been a number of range management sessions held at the ranch, too. "We have a sixteen-year history of lessons learned from practicing Holistic Management, which includes how we plan grazing and respond to drought as well as working with diverse interests that we can offer to visitors," Tony adds.

Strong Partnerships
The Nature Conservancy, with a wide range of partners, has conserved over 424,000 acres in Wyoming; most of this land is privately-owned ranchland encompassing important wildlife habitat. By working with willing landowners to enact voluntary land conservation agreements, biologically rich property can be maintained in agriculture and available to wildlife in what some have described as a "win-win-win" situation, says Andrea Erickson. "The beauty of this agreement is that it keeps dedicated land stewards on the ground where conservation must ultimately be done on a daily basis. The value of ranching families like the Malmbergs cannot be overstated. This conservation easement contributes significantly toward the goals the Conservancy has of conserving the land and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth. And wildlife will continue to benefit from these important areas which serve as breeding grounds, migration routes and critical winter range. It is really about helping to ensure the quality of life for all of us into the future."