Some Factors Associated with the Economic Feasibility of Reseeding Privately-Owned Cattle Ranges in Utah

The forage depletion of western ranges which has occurred during the past century is partly the result of the belief by ranchers that the forage loss was temporary and not serious. Should more forage of a high quality be desired they thought it could be produced by reseeding the ranges. The native western forages, never abundant or luxurious by eastern concepts, nevertheless were of generally high qualities. Limited by low and erratically distributed precipitation, the sparse native forages have in many areas given way to low quality plants. These plants of low quality do not have to withstand the adverse circumstances of both poor growing conditions and heavy grazing. In particularly sever cases an area has been almost completely denuded, exposing the soil to unchecked accelerated erosion