Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Going
History is important. We need to know where we’ve been to better understand where we’re going, so that we can identify challenges and lessons learned to move forward together, continuing to champion ranchers and maintaining our strong roots in sound research and commitment to supporting healthy grazing lands and the people who use them.
“We’ve always been a whole bunch of people who care a lot and we want to work with other people who care a lot to support grazing lands in Montana”
We’re proud to kick off our historical review by sharing our 2025 Annual Report with you. From there, we’ll dig into our history and come full circle back to our present.
Montana Grazing Lands Coalition’s (MT GLC) history began in 1991 with a different name, the Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (MT GLCI). The first symposium was held in Bozeman where 50 producers gathered from 8 states to discuss a shared concern – the lack of technical support and program assistance available for privately owned grazing lands. From this initial meeting, the National Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI), now the National Grazing Lands Coalition (GLC) steering committee, was established. The MT GLCI steering committee and Ex-official (advisory) committee formed in 1992, one year after the national steering committee.
Then 1992 brought much discussion about the purpose and intent of the initiative, spearheaded by Dick Gooby, Clayton Marlow and Dennis Philippi. The outcome was a shared vision between the initiative and ranchers, including agency partners Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and SCS. Working together, the plan was for an educational program to be developed and offered about the basics of range and pasture management including technical information and application and for integration with other organizations to be prioritized.
1993 brought another symposium, but this time, there were about 250 participants. In addition, training meetings occurred in Helena and Miles City and educational materials were developed such as fact sheets and a pocketbook to support range and pasture recordkeeping. The following year, 1994, brought changes in leadership, forward movement to develop training modules and further develop education to meet ranchers where they live through interactive video-telecommunications.
In 1995, the first newsletter was created and shared, along with the first informational brochure and display board. Workshops were conducted across Montana and the initial idea to support demonstration projects took shape with solicitations for funding occurring in 1996. 1996 brought MT GLCI becoming an official part of the 1996 Farm Bill. 7 demonstration projects were sponsored across 22 counties, the Montana Steering Committee that formed previously developed bylaws, and Aggie Helle, a committee member, was elected to the National GLCI Steering Committee. 1996 was the year that educational training and programming really took off and was also the year that grantwriting yielded positive outcomes to fund work from years of positive integration and collaboration with agencies and other agriculture organizations.
Since 1996, though GLCI had been authorized funding, most often dollars were not appropriated. In 2001, the National GLCI drafted a bill titled Conservation of Private Grazing Lands (CPGL) and during the 2002 Farm Bill, funding for GLCI was earmarked in the NRCS budget. Funding is distributed to the State Conservationist, who then makes distribution of GLCI funds. Most of the funding is used to employ grazing lands specialists for the NRCS. Through a contribution agreement with NRCS, the Montana GLCI has received funding to further the grazing land education and awareness across the state and to put conservation on the ground through demonstration projects.
“In the 90s and 2000s, we advocated for private grazing lands, and now, we need to separate public and private lands because grasses still need to be managed and we’re including all of those lands in our work”
From 1996 to 2002, two educational projects occurred, 54 demonstration projects were sponsored, and over $2 million dollars was earmarked to support the MT GLCI. In that same time period there were other educational programs and outreach tools such as monitoring workshops, the creation of a website, video courses and text materials, and the first major research project was funded in 1998.
In the next two decades, the MT GLCI became the MT GLC with the organization changing the words conservation initiative to coalition, further ingraining the collaborative nature and mission. The rancher-led roots that began the MT GLC lengthened and dug themselves further into the rangelands of Montana, weathering many storms that looked like lack of financial challenges, changes in agriculture and policy, and impacts to agency partners that had rippling effects.
“The GLC serves a niche, to fill gaps by providing technical assistance on the ground for ranchers to help them further their grazing lands,”
Since its inception, no matter the challenges, Montana has been one of the lead states within the national scope of GLC’s. Over the past 35 years, the MT GLC has worked with Montana State University (MSU) Extension, local NRCS and Conservation District offices to put conservation on the ground in the form of demonstration and research projects, workshops and seminars.
To continue following our work, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook and check out our new website and blog. We’ve come a long way and we recognize there’s much good work to be done. Join us and let’s continue strengthening grassroots efforts together.
