Archie Chant
NL Land and Livestock
Wildlife & Conservation
NL Land and Livestock manages habitat and permeability along the Hoback to Red Desert mule deer and Sublette pronghorn migration routes that connect these species’ summer and winter ranges. These rangelands are also identified as core habitat for Greater sage-grouse. Specifically, this project will allow for grazing rotation to be implemented without the construction of physical fencing, and without harm to sensitive riparian areas. Overall, this project targets better rangeland health, water conservation and wildlife habitat.
Goals
Key measurable outcomes include the monitoring of big game migration data to monitor permeability benefits, monitoring vegetative response along streambanks and on rangelands to detect improvements to habitat health, reduced trampling of sensitive springs and other areas, improved livestock distribution resulting in body condition, weight gain, and reduced stress. This project is anticipated to reduce physical maintenance costs, improved labor flexibility and efficiency, determine producer feasibility and satisfaction, and help align operational goals with conservation goals identified by the BLM.
Ranch
Archie Chant, NL Land & Livestock manages critical habitats for migratory big game, wild horses, sage-grouse, and trout fisheries in the northern Red Desert, directly adjacent to the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Up to 800 head of cattle are being enrolled in the Virtual Fence Conservation Partnership. This project will allow for a grazing rotation to be implemented without the construction of physical fencing while limiting livestock access to sensitive riparian areas. Additionally, Chant plans to use virtual fence to be able to graze a large BLM allotment that currently has no fences at all.
Project Collaborators
Partnership Journal
Partner since April 2026 · 1 entry
April 22, 2026
RCF visited NL Land & Livestock on April 22, 2026. This site visit was conducted to support the development of a conservation monitoring plan for Archie Chant, who already participates in conservation efforts and cooperative monitoring in collaboration with the NRCS. During the site visit we toured the Fish Creek, Sweetwater, Bar X, and Bush Rim allotments. Throughout the day, we discussed several possible options for accomplishing conservation and operational goals through the use of virtual fence (VF). These included implementing a high intensity short duration grazing rotation for improved vegetation production and prevention of soil loss, limiting livestock use of riparian areas to alleviate pressure on stream banks, and promoting wildlife permeability by keeping the Bush Rim allotment “fenceless.”