Rotational grazing by cattle herd reduces excessive grass fuel

Sterling Ranch, a 21^st century master-planned community with more than 1,700 homes on 3,400 acres, has implemented a fire mitigation measure that harkens-back to the Old West: cattle herds.

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The annual cattle drive at the Sterling Ranch community in Douglas County, CO provides rotational grazing and fire mitigation as the herd is moved to their winter pastures. Cattle drives are a longtime western tradition and grazing of cattle is a key part of the strategy of building a robust ecosystem and is part of the unique vision of Sterling Ranch where the community lives with nature. By grazing the land, fire risk is reduced and the hooves of the cattle aerate the land, the cow manure fertilizes the land, and the low grass provides protection from predators. (Photo: Business Wire)

There are 220 head of cattle on Sterling Ranch (located in Douglas County, Colorado), and they are currently being herded to their winter pasture. Every six months, the cattle are herded through Sterling Ranch, to-and-from their winter and summer pastures, where they graze the grass. Rotational grazing provides an important source of fire protection for Sterling Ranch as the cattle feed on the prairie grasses that would otherwise become excessive fuel to feed a fire. The process also fosters a healthier ecosystem across the landscapes.

“Cattle grazing might seem like it would have a minimal effect on fire mitigation, but in reality, these cows are devouring ‘fire energy’,” said Harold Smethills, a founder of Sterling Ranch and a Colorado rancher himself. “Cattle drives are a longtime western tradition and grazing of cattle is a key part of the strategy of building a robust ecosystem and is part of the unique vision of Sterling Ranch where the community lives with nature. By grazing the land, fire risk is reduced and the hooves of the cattle aerate the land, the cow manure fertilizes the land, and the low grass provides protection from predators.”

Before the first home was built at Sterling Ranch, the ownership team worked with experts to create a Prairie Management Plan. The Plan provided a roadmap for managing and supporting wildlife cultivating the property which had served as a cattle ranch for many years but had been overgrazed and turned into little more than weeds and dirt. With new plantings in place, the ownership team brought the cattle back to Sterling Ranch and implemented rotational grazing. The result is a vibrant prairie land that provides forage and shelter for wildlife and an incredible wildlife habitat for Sterling Ranch residents to respect and enjoy.

The cattle drives at Sterling Ranch include cowboys and cowgirls, horses and dogs from the Clough Cattle Company who team-up to move the cattle to their pastures.

More information regarding Sterling Ranch is available at www.sterlingranchcolorado.com.

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