We Bought a Ranch! Now What?

LAND

Ranches often have a variety of land types that require different management strategies to thrive. Healthy forests need periodic disturbances, like fire, to regenerate and maintain diversity. Riparian and wetland areas are often affected by season-long grazing regimes and might need a rest. Range and grasslands can be susceptible to noxious weed invasions and may need to be checked for future outbreaks. List your land resources by type, acreage, condition, and any notable items about their management.

WATER

Water is the lifeblood of most ranches and should be prioritized. Ditches, sprinkler systems, and ponds all need routine maintenance to function well, and water rights must be used on an annual basis. Diversions and ditches are often located off the property and should be inspected to ensure that they are delivering the ranch water rights. Natural ponds, wetlands, rivers, and streams may have been impacted by historic land uses and in need of restoration to meet your goals. List the ranch water rights, man-made structures, and natural water features in your inventory.

INFRASTRUCTURE & EQUIPMENT

A ranch’s infrastructure is in constant need of maintenance. Gravel roads need grading, fences checked and fixed, buildings stained, heating systems inspected so that they will work all winter, and equipment serviced to ensure that it works when you need it. The elements and nature are continuously wearing on your ranch infrastructure and equipment. Staying on top of these tasks and budgeting for them will help you enjoy your time on the ranch and hopefully prevent any surprises. List these items with the year of their last routine maintenance so that those tasks can be scheduled and prioritized.

RELATIONSHIPS

Ranches come with a whole host of existing relationships that have made it run smoothly in the past. – From fencing contractors, to grazing lessees, neighbors, electricians, and tractor repairmen, these men and women will be essential in helping manage your ranch. Ask the former owner or ranch manager to give you a list of all of their contacts and their role on the ranch. The former owner or manager are also a wealth of information of what should be prioritized in your management plan. Take time to learn what they loved most about the ranch, what they struggled with, and what they would fix.

ECONOMICS

All ranch properties have an economic history that is important to learn so that you can prepare for expenses and understand the income potential. If the ranching operation was set up like a small business, review the last 5 years of profit & loss statements, balance sheets, depreciation schedule and tax filings to understand its current value. If the ranch was run as an LLC and passed through to the owner’s taxes. Ask for an annual break down of the ranch income and expenses. It may be that the ranch doesn’t have an income source and, in that case, ask for a realistic budget of the past 5-years of annual expenses from the former owner.

#2 - Get to know your neighbors.

Like anywhere, it’s best to be on good terms with the neighbors, and out in the country this is particularly helpful. If you are on good terms, they will pull you out of a ditch, lend you a piece of equipment, and give you a lift to town when you need it. More than likely, they have been working the land for a while and have learned a thing or two that they’d be happy to share over a cup of coffee. Neighbors are a wealth of information from where the cheapest gas is in town, to what commodities yield the best gains, and who to avoid when hiring a fencing contractor. Take time to get to know your neighbors and listen to their history and perspectives on the land.

Often in the west, the largest landholding neighbor will be the state or federal government. The professionals who manage these lands are usually happy and willing to share what they know about the area. Their perspective is often backed with data that has been collected over multiple years and can be particularly insightful when looking at trends your region. The US Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), State Lands Division, or your local land trust, know a lot about your region, current land management challenges, and cost-share programs that you might be eligible for. Your local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and state fish and wildlife biologists are also great resources to learn about agriculture, fish, and wildlife trends on your new property.

Make a list of the ranch neighbors, introduce yourself and ask them how you can be a good neighbor, land steward, and community member.

#3 - Decide what’s important to you.

Whether it’s maximizing fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, conservation, or the agricultural values of the ranch, it’s best to decide what’s important to YOU, before outlining your management plan. This list will help define how to manage the ranch to maximize your values. Multiple values in ranch management are common and many are complementary to each other. It’s also important to prioritize your values so that you know what is most important when a compromise must be made.

Common Ranching Values

• Ranching
• Farming
• Open space
• Fishing
• Bird hunting
• Big game hunting
• Historical preservation
• Family legacy
• Family retreat
• Environmental Sustainability
• Economic Sustainability
• Income = Expenses
• Income > Expenses
• Tax benefits

Sample prioritized list of values:

1. Family retreat
2. Fishing
3. Hunting
4. Historic preservation
5. Balanced budget – income = expenses

#4 – Outline your management plan.

A good ranch management plan describes where you are starting from (Inventory), what you value (Values), where you’d like to get to (Goals), and how you’ll get there (Action Items). The simplest way to outline your management plan is to merge the ranch inventory with your values, then add goals and action items that address the immediate needs of the ranch.

#5 - Implement, monitor, adapt, and have fun

Once you have a plan, start implementing it. Ideally, some of the items in your plan will have measurable action items that you can monitor. As you implement the plan, monitor how you are doing, and assess and adapt to what is realistic and achievable based on your results. Ranch management plans are living documents that should be updated annually with input from the people who are doing the work on the ground. As you embark on this journey, like anything in life, take time to enjoy the process, the people, and the surprises along the way. Owning a ranch is a humbling and rewarding experience. Starting with a ranch management plan aligned with your values will help you develop a legacy that you can pass on.