A Labor of Love: Supporting ranchers and range managers with the South Dakota Drought Tool

For 25 years, ranchers in South Dakota have used the South Dakota Drought Tool to estimate forage productivity of grazing lands. This crucial information helps them gauge whether to increase or decrease their herd size the following year. Management agencies also use the South Dakota Drought Tool to determine forage productivity of the lands they manage to balance the needs of livestock and wildlife. Stan Boltz, a regional soil health specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), developed the Drought Tool to fulfill an unmet need he observed when working with ranchers. **Music courtesy of Souvenir Thread.  Read the Science You Can Use and access the related content on Treesearch.