Agricultural Viability Funding

Students working as research assistants for Yale School of the Environment’s Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative collaborated with Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) to determine funding frameworks and priorities for their internally-managed Agricultural Resiliency Fund. Rangelands cover nearly two-thirds of Colorado and when managed effectively, rangelands provide numerous ecological benefits, all while supporting local communities and livelihoods. CCALT holds easements over 700,000 acres of ranchland across Colorado, with the goal of conserving working landscapes for the benefit of future generations. The Agricultural Resiliency Fund supports landowner-initiated projects that enhance conservation values, ecosystem services, and agricultural viability on ranches under conservation easements. Projects might include improving water infrastructure, restoring wildlife habitat, and increasing fire mitigation on private lands. The student team recommended funding strategies and frameworks for the fund, assisted in determining priorities for CCALT’s Additive Conservation team, and created metrics to evaluate landowner projects to support funding allocation.