Stories

“At Fort Union Ranch, owned by my family since 1882, land-use from the mid 1800s has left visible scars, including wagon tracks, quarries, timber cuts and lime kilns. More significantly, the occupancy by the army tended to dry out the landscape, which was once far greener and wetter than it is today.  By 1895, when my great grandfather rode the range, the high prairie was already stressed and vulnerable to drought, and much of the wildlife had been slaughtered or driven off by habitat change.  What we have learned is that any long-term interest in range management demands attention to ecosystem trends that go well beyond those related to cattle grazing.  We also need to assess the impact of cattle and timber cutting on riparian areas and surface water. At stake is developing an economic use of the landscape that is sustainable in a time of climate change.”

~ Ned Ames Owning Member of The Fort Union Ranch

Find out more about the Fort Union Ranch.