New, Free Online Tool Helps Calculate Rangeland Stocking Rates

A new free online tool, the StockSmart decision support tool, lets producers and land managers access remotely sensed information to calculate stocking rates for livestock on rangeland. Developed by researchers at Washington State University, the University of Arizona, and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station with funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the StockSmart tool calculates stocking rates using remotely sensed forage production data for every quarter of an acre over the last 40 years. It allows users to define their livestock’s terrain use with key parameters, such as steepness of slopes that livestock traverse and how far from water animals disperse. It also allows managers to explore potential scenarios, such as how the amount of forage and stocking rate might change if they invest in new water developments or fencing. Rangeland scientists, ecologists, and web developers from Washington State University and the University of Arizona are hosting a virtual workshop series November 6 – December 11, 2024, to introduce the new tool. There will also be in-person trainings this fall and a series of online tutorials in summer 2025.
Related ATTRA publication: Pasture, Rangeland, and Adaptive Grazing