Protecting wildlife and the habitats they depend on is an important part of our stewardship of the Ranches and our contribution to conservation across the region. We believe that with thoughtful management, wildlife and working landscapes can thrive together.
Our efforts focus on protecting and improving forests, grasslands, wetlands, fisheries, and migration corridors while supporting the biodiversity that makes this landscape so remarkable. By caring for these interconnected habitats, we work to ensure that the Ranches continue to provide healthy, open spaces for wildlife for generations to come.
Research using radio telemetry to track deer, elk, pronghorn, and other ungulates has deepened our understanding of how wildlife moves across the West. These studies demonstrate the importance of open landscapes and connected migration corridors that allow animals to move between seasonal habitats.
Drawing on this research, along with motion-sensing camera studies and observations on the ground, the Ranches have identified important wildlife corridors and areas where habitat and movement routes can be protected or improved.
Some of this work is featured in the 2024 film Under the Wire, produced by Michael Forsberg and directed by Mariah Lundgren of Platte Basin Timelapse. The project brought together the Ranches, the University of Wyoming, the Conservation District of Carbon County, and students and teachers from the local community to explore wildlife movement and the collaborative work being done to keep migration routes open across working landscapes.
Since 1986, the Ranch has been home to an active bird banding station led by Dr. Oak Thorne. Over nearly four decades, thousands of birds have been banded, contributing valuable information about migration patterns, longevity, and the health and movement of both resident and migratory species.
Among the thousands of birds studied, a few remarkable journeys stand out:
A ruby-throated hummingbird captured at the Ranch during its northward migration had been recorded in Taos, New Mexico—approximately 400 miles south—just five days earlier. After its release, it likely continued north toward, or even beyond, the Canadian border.
A female red-winged blackbird was captured twice at A Bar A and again in Boulder, Colorado, over an eight-year period. Remarkably, Dr. Thorne was the person who encountered and banded her each time.
And a cliff swallow first banded at the Ranch was later recorded in southern Mexico during its annual migration toward Argentina—a small glimpse into the extraordinary distances traveled by birds that pass through the Ranches each year.
The open spaces and varied landscapes of the Ranches provide important nesting and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse. Working with wildlife agencies and conservation partners, the Ranches actively protect areas that are important to their survival and reproduction.
In partnership with Colorado State University, research has examined how sage-grouse use irrigated meadows and the surrounding upland habitats, helping identify opportunities for agricultural practices to further support the species. Ranch guests have also taken part in this work, helping place markers on fence lines near an important breeding area to make the wires more visible and reduce the risk of collisions for grouse in flight.
Long-term stewardship requires looking beyond property boundaries and considering the needs of the land, wildlife, and the communities that depend on them. The Ranches work closely with neighbors, government agencies, community leaders, universities, conservation organizations, and other partners to share knowledge, address common challenges, and advance conservation efforts across the broader landscape.
Thoughtful grazing management can benefit wildlife, livestock, soil health, water retention, biodiversity, and carbon storage. Across the Ranches, we use rotational grazing and detailed mapping to guide when and where cattle graze, drawing on the natural grazing patterns that have shaped these landscapes over time.
This approach allows pastures time to recover, helps protect sensitive areas, encourages plant diversity, and supports healthy forage for both livestock and wildlife. Combined with active weed management, these practices are designed to strengthen the health, stability, and connectivity of the Ranches’ rangelands for the long term.
Minimizing soil disturbance helps protect soil structure, retain moisture, support beneficial organisms, and build healthier rangelands over time. Wherever possible, the Ranches use crops and grazing practices that allow the soil to remain intact rather than relying on tillage.
In areas where sagebrush rangelands were tilled by previous land managers, we are also exploring ways to restore soil health and native vegetation, with the long-term goal of returning these landscapes to conditions that more closely resemble their natural state.
Mowing is one of the tools the Ranches use to manage sagebrush while maintaining diverse habitat. Instead of mowing entire fields, we use mosaic patterns that leave areas of taller sagebrush intact, providing wildlife cover and preserving the plant’s ability to capture and retain moisture.
The shape of these mosaics also matters. Straight mowed corridors can create open pathways that make it easier for predators to pursue prey. By using irregular patterns with rounded edges, we maintain more protective cover while creating a varied landscape that supports a greater diversity of species.
Proactive management of invasive species and noxious weeds is an important part of maintaining healthy rangelands. The Ranches work to quickly revegetate disturbed soils with non-invasive species, helping reduce erosion and limiting opportunities for invasive plants such as cheatgrass to become established. When populations of thistle, cheatgrass, leafy spurge, and other invasive species are identified, we use a combination of mechanical and targeted chemical treatments to control their spread.
Cheat Grass Control
Introduced to North America from Eurasia in the mid-1800s, cheat grass has spread widely throughout the western United States. This annual grass can produce hundreds of seeds per plant and develops a shallow root system that captures moisture near the soil surface, competing with native vegetation for limited water.
Cheat grass also completes its growing cycle early in the season, leaving behind dry vegetation that provides little forage or soil protection and can increase the risk of wildfire. Left unchecked, it can spread across large areas, reducing plant diversity and diminishing the quality of habitat and forage available to wildlife and livestock.
In partnership with Carbon County and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), tens of thousands of acres of cheat grass-infested rangeland have been treated to give native vegetation an opportunity to recover. While cheat grass will remain part of the landscape for the foreseeable future, continued efforts to limit its spread help protect the diversity, resilience, and long-term health of the Ranches’ rangelands.