The beneficial management practices found in this online tool were compiled by experts involved in the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s (CEC) North American Grasslands: Management Initiatives and Partnerships to Enhance Ecosystem and Community Resilience and Catalyzing North American Grasslands Conservation and Sustainable Use Through Partnerships projects.

Around one hundred beneficial management practices were identified through a meta-analysis of publications, reports, and documents regarding grassland stewardship from ranchers, ranching associations, conservation organizations, government programs and academic institutions published between 1993 and 2013. While practices range from the use of effective rest periods after grazing to participation in apprenticeship programs, all offer tangible strategies to sustain healthy grasslands, ranching communities and local economies.

The beneficial management practices were organized into eight management categories in order to identify the major management needs they addressed. Featured Stories, including videos, highlight the work of ranchers to implement beneficial management practices. Twenty CEC-supported ranch pilots across North America demonstrate practices that can have both environmental and economic benefits. In analyzing the beneficial management practices, a series of higher level sound practices emerged for guiding range management decisions to reach both economic and conservation objectives. These are presented as overarching practices.