Land EKG™ Success Stories

Land EKG monitoring served as the pilot project test system for what ultimately became the Wyoming Rangeland Health Assessment Program (RHAP) – providing funding to WY ranchers through the Dept of Agriculture to assist in monitoring efforts. In 2011 (the first year of the program) two WY ranches applied for and were granted RHAP funding with monitoring programs based the Land EKG model. In just this first year, Land EKG is being represented on 150,000+ acres for the RHAP program.
In June 2011, thirteen livestock producing families in CO prevailed against a lawsuit filed by Western Watershed's Project (WWP) that objected to the renewal of USFS grazing permits. With their land monitoring and management plans, the ranchers were able to prove that they were complying with the Forest Plan's wildlife, soil productivity, and water quality protections.
A Shonkin, Montana rancher using Land EKG was the only producer in the state to receive immediate NRCS cost share funding when "new criteria" required range assessments to be completed before program sign-up. Resulted in 18 month expedition of payment for program participation
The D/D Ranch in Idaho has been allowed to increase their grazing on public lands because of Land EKG monitoring and ensuing management changes. In 1996 they were facing a 1000 AUM cut.
Land EKG Monitoring revealed to a Highwood Montana rancher that it was not necessary to purchase a historically held "off ranch" private grazing lease. By modifying the grazing program, this rancher is now carrying more animals than ever before, all at home. Annual cash savings exceeds $25,000.
The Cumbres Lamanga Grazing Association in Colorado can value EKG information at approximately $45,000 per year. If they continue to manage correctly from the monitoring information gathered, a 30% cut from the USFS will not take place.
Land EKG monitoring on BLM lands helped save the Orchard Ranch in WY over $200,000 following wildfire.
The only rancher allowed to continue grazing on his forest service allotment in Central CO during the drought of 2000, was using Land EKG monitoring to argue his case.
A WY rancher was awarded $10,000 for his stewardship practices based on his own Land EKG ranch monitoring.
Another WY ranch was awarded a national stewardship award based on their monitoring a management practices.

Land EKG™ Project Highlights

USDA Research and Development Phase II funding: We completed a three year Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project to develop the electronic Land EKG level I, 2, and 3, rangeland monitoring information system in 2003-2005.
EKG DataStore: Spring boarding off of the SBIR project, we developed EKG DataStore, an internet-based application allowing land managers worldwide, to enter, analyze, report, and store ecological monitoring information and photos. The Colorado Cattlemen's Association has recently signed on to use EKG DataStore to house all of their member's monitoring data as part of their Colorado Resource Monitoring Initiative Program.
Private Land monitoring programs planned and established by Land EKG:
- Savory Institute's first land purchases in South Dakota and Montana
- Turner Enterprises – + 2 million acres
- CS Ranch – 120,000 acres in New Mexico
- The Nature Conservancy, Island Park, ID – included training for TNC technicians
- Smaller, private ranches in MT, ID, WY, SD, OR, KS, NM, WA, CO and NE. Due to the monitoring, most of these ranches have been awarded conservation funds for their work through: CSP, EQIP, WHIP, Carbon-Offset Payments, etc...
Public Lands monitoring programs planned and established by Land EKG:
- Land EKG Monitoring has been used successfully on USFS or BLM districts in 7 Western states.
- Malheur National Forest, John Day, OR.contract: Evaluated 11 USFS Grazing Allotments representing + 250,000 acres of grazing, forest, and riparian systems including comprehensive data reporting while under lawsuit with ONDA
- USFS South Dakota Prairie Grasslands uses Land EKG monitoring on their 150,000+ acres (and also store the information on EKG DataStore)
Monitoring and Grazing Workshops: Provided over 80 workshops and vegetation inventory analysis with private, state, and federal ranch and resource managers in the western US and Canada since 1996.
Widespread Reach: Enhanced grazing and resource management techniques for approximately 5 million acres of private and public lands.