Western Sustainability Exchange

THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES THROUGH A SERIES OF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE BETTER RANCHING PRACTICES. A STRONG FOCUS IS TO PROVIDE RANCHERS WITH THE INFORMATION, TOOLS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND PEER SUPPORT THEY NEED TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. ADDITIONALLY, WSE INCENTIVIZES THE CONVERSION TO THESE PRACTICES BY CONNECTING RANCHERS TO NATURAL FOOD AND CULINARY OUTLETS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET.

REGENERATIVE RANCHER NETWORK: WSE PROMOTED REGENERATIVE RANCHING PRACTICES THROUGH WEBINARS, WORKSHOPS, AND FIELD TOURS HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH RANCHERS TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES ON THEIR LAND. WSE ORGANIZED AND CO-SPONSORED EIGHT WORKSHOPS AND FIELD DAYS. WSE ALSO CREATED WEBINARS, FEATURING INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SOIL EXPERTS. IN 2021, 155 LANDOWNERS PARTICIPATED IN THESE EVENTS. WSE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE REGNERATIVE RANCHING PRACTICES PLAY IN NATURE-BASED CARBON CAPTURE TO OVER 1,300 PEOPLE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CARBON SUMMIT IN BOISE, IDAHO, AND ALSO MADE THAT AVAILABLE ONLINE. TO ASSIST RANCHERS IN MAINTAINING THEIR PROGRESS, WE ORGANIZED MONTHLY PEER-TO-PEER ZOOM SESSIONS FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES. OVER 130 RANCHERS PARTICIPATED IN THIS PEER NETWORK. TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND TO HELP MEASURE THEIR PROGRESS, WSE IS CREATING TWO TOOLS FOR LANDOWNERS, A REGENERATIVE RANCH GUIDE AND A LAND HEALTH DASHBOARD APP. THE RRG IS ON ONLINE ASSESSMENT TOOL THAT OUTLINES THE EIGHT FOCUS AREAS OF REGENERATIVE MANAGEMENT (SOIL, WATER, LAND, LIVESTOCK, GRAZING, ECONOMICS, BIODIVERSITY, AND PEOPLE). IT HELPLS THE LANDOWNER BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND PROVIDES A BASELINE VALUATION FOR THEIR OPERATION IN EACH AREA. RANCHERS RECEIVE A REPORT AT THE END WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. THE LHD APP IS BEING DESIGNED TO DISPLAY INFORMATION ON A RANGE OF ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS RANCHERS CAN USE TO INFORM THEIR MANAGEMENT DECISIONS, SUCH AS WEATHER CONDITIONS, CHANGES TO THE PERCENT OF BARE GROUND, SNOWPACK LEVELS, SOIL MOISTURE AND OTHER RELEVANT DATA. MONTANA GRASSLAND CARBON PROGRAM: TO ECONOMICALLY INCENTIVIZE RANCHERS TO SWITCH TO REGENERATIVE METHODS, WSE ORGANIZES RANCHER PARTICIPATION IN THE GROWING VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET THROUGH OUR MONTANA GRASSLANDS CARBON INITIATIVE. THE PROGRAM PROTECTS MONTANA'S REMARKABLE NATURAL RESOURCE HERITAGE, CAPTURES DANGEROUS CARBON DIOXIDE OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE, BOLSTERS THE PROFITABILITY OF FAMILY RANCHES BY REDUCING OPERATING COSTS AND INCREASING LAND PRODUCTIVITY, AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INCOME THROUGH CARBON OFFSET PAYMENTS. IN 2021, WSE RECRUITED FIVE RANCHES (TOTALING 76,000 ACRES) TO CONTRACTUALLY COMMIT TO USING REGENERATIVE GRAZING PRACTICES FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAMS PREDICTIVE MODEL, THESE RANCHES CAPTURE BETWEEN 5,000 TO 80,000 TONS OF CARBON ANNUALLY. THIS TRANSLATES TO 1.3 TO 2.4 MILLION TONS OF CARBON OVER THE 30 YEAR LIFE OF THE CARBON CONTRACTS. RANCHERS RECEIVE ANNUAL CARBON OFFSET PAYMENTS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF CARBON THEY CAPTURE. THIS ECONOMIC INCENTIVE ENCOURAGES GREATER ADOPTION OF REGENERATIVE METHODS. TO DETERMINE SEQUESTRATION LEVELS, WSE TOOK OVER 500 SOIL SAMPLES ON 70 RANCHES TO DETERMINE BASELINE SOIL CARBON LEVELS AT VARIOUS ELEVATIONS, TOPOGRAPHIES, AND SOIL TYPES. THE PREDICTIVE MODEL USES THIS SOIL CARBON DATA TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL INCREASE IN CARBON CAPTURE IF REGENERATIVE GRAZING PRACTICES ARE IMPLEMENTED. TO ENSURE THE MODEL AND OUR PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT CARBON CAPTURE, THE PROGRAM IS BEING SCRUTINIZED BY THE VERRA STANDARDS REGISTRY. ONE THE PROJECT IS FULLY VALIDATED AND VERIFIED, IT WILL BE REGISTERED ON THE VERRA EXCHANGE, AND TRADABLE CARBON CREDITS CAN BE SOLD ON THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET. THIS PROGRAM IN THE LARGEST GRASSLAND CATPURE PROJECT IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THE SECOND LARGEST WORLDWIDE. LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET: IN ADDITION TO THE MANY ACTIVITIES WITHIN THESE PRIMARY WORK AREAS, WSE OPERATES THE LIVINGSTON FARMERS MARKET. THE MARKET PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS TO PROVIDE LOCAL SOURCES OF FOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY LOW INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS AND FAMILIES. IN 2021, WSE OFFERED 142 VENDORS WITH THIS MARKETING OPPORTUNITY FOR SIXTEEN WEEKS DURING THE SUMMER. OUR "SPECIAL DAYS" PROGRAMMING FEATURED MANY OF THE SERVICES PARK COUNTY AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS OFFER TO OUR CITIZENS TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE SERVICES, BUILD AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS, AND ATTRACT A BROADER CROSS-SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO THE MARKET. WSE PROVIDED 50 VOUCHERS TO LOW INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS THROUGH THE SENIOR FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. THIS STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOW INCOME SENIORS WITH ACCESS TO LOCALLY GROWN FRUITS, VEGETABLES, HONEY AND HERBS. IN 2021, WSE PROVIDED 92 SENIORS WITH VOUCHERS TO BUY THESE FRESH FOODS FROM OUR VENDORS. WSE ALSO ORGANIZED VOLUNTEER PROXY SHOPPERS TO PROCURE THESE ITEMS FOR THOSE SENIORS UNABLE TO ATTEND. IN ADDITION, WE PILOTED A NEW PROGRAM WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ELIGIBLE YOUNG FAMILIES WITH VOUCHERS TO PURCHASE FRESH PRODUCE AT THE MARKET. WSE ALSO PARTNERED ON A TRASH REDUCTION PROGRAM BY MANDATING VENDORS ONLY USE LOW-IMPACT, COMPOSTABLE TAKEOUT WARE, PROHIBITING THE USE OF POLYSTYRENE, AND ESTABLISHING A WASTE STATION AT THE MARKET AS THE ONLY PLACE TO DISPOSE OF THE GARBAGE. TO DATE, THIS PROGRAM HAS REDUCED WASTE GENERATED AT THE MARKET BY OVER 75%.