Rangelands and Watersheds

Royce Larsen, Ph.D., Certified Range Manager
Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties

There are over two million acres of rangeland, native pasture and oak woodlands in the Central Coast. This accounts for approximately half of the acreage in MO, SLO, and SB Counties. These lands provide opportunity for multiple purposes including watersheds that capture, store, and release water for downstream uses; forage for grazing by livestock and wildlife; diverse plant communities that provide habitat for many species of wildlife and recreational uses. UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists provide educational programs to inform people who own and/or manage the land and the animals grazing these lands. Our work includes applied research to develop new knowledge to effectively and efficiently manage rangelands and livestock in today's competitive and regulatory environment.