Montana Rangeland Resources Program

SHAPE: Probing Our Country's Soil Health Survey - SHAPE For this project we will surveying and sampling about 5,500 US fields. A targeted number of fields are allocated for each state. These states we have completed:Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington The minimal field size is 10 acres.This survey supports a national effort called “Probing

URGENT - Your comment Needed by August 7th, 2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has opened a 14-day public comment period on a rule that protects voluntary National Wildlife Refuge System wetland easements across the Prairie Pothole Region.

This isn't about creating new regulations, it's about honoring conservation agreements that have been in place for more than 60 years. These easements were voluntarily signed by landowners and paid for with dollars from hunters, conservationists, and the American public. The current rule simply ensures that nearby drain tile installations cannot circumvent those agreements by draining wetlands from outside the easement boundary.

If this rule is weakened or eliminated, wetlands that Americans have already invested millions of dollars to protect could be drained anyway. That's a terrible return on one of the most successful conservation investments in North America.

The Prairie Pothole Region is the "Duck Factory" of North America, producing more than half of the continent's migratory waterfowl. It also encompasses parts of Montana and stretches across both the Pacific and Central Flyways. 80% of animals in Montana rely on wetland ecosystems, not just waterfowl!

At a time when drought continues to reduce wetland habitat and waterfowl populations remain under pressure, the last thing we should be doing is making it easier to destroy the wetlands that remain.

If you care about wetlands, waterfowl, hunting, birding, or keeping conservation promises, now is the time to speak up. Public comments are open for just 14 days. Please take a few minutes to let the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service know that conservation easements should mean what they say.

COMMENT HERE: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/24/2026-14995/national-wildlife-refuge-system-request-for-information-on-implementation-of-drain-tile-setbacks?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--5OEhF1ijvMo6xgMdU7-KjhPd_WLriCAU-xqICa5aQe_hon3tTdcm4zk1Dz3EoNNmq1f5lJG8DsjkoYhYFniag9L00hQCSgJavdNlTBD1AtL3VxsM&_hsmi=430362513&utm_content=430362513&utm_source=hs_email

The Montana Grazing Lands Coalition is hosting its Grazing Expo in Billings, Montana, Sept. 10-13, and Noble Research Institute is proud to be a Silver Sponsor and co-host of one of the weekend's evening events.

The Grazing Expo is designed to put tangible tools and resources in the hands of the people who steward grazing land. Over four days at the Billings Hotel & Convention Center, producers and land managers will have access to keynote speakers, breakout sessions across five tracks — business, career conversations, livestock, land management and shared successes — pre-conference workshops, a trade show and multiple off-site events.

Noble is co-hosting Rancher's Night with World Wildlife Fund on Saturday evening at Henry's Garage. Designed specifically for producer participants of the Grazing Expo, Rancher's Night brings together ranchers and those working hard to become one for an evening of local food, cocktails and curated conversation. If that's you, Rancher's Night is worth your evening.

Financial assistance is available for students through Aug. 15, and producers participating in WWF's Sustainable Ranching Initiative RSVP program are eligible for support through Sept. 10.

Learn more and register: https://montanaglc.org/expo

The full agenda for our Watershed Tour is up on the website!

👉Check out all the cool stops and wonderful people who will be a part of the Tour.👈

Don't delay; registration closes next week! ⏰

mtwatersheds.org/connection/watershed-tour/

Running a ranch is rarely a one-person job, and neither is planning its future.

Bring the person you make ranch decisions with to a two-day Ranching for Profit Workshop with Dallas Mount.

September 15-16 | Glasgow

Register at ranchstewards.org/events