Undaunted Stewardship® Land Certification Program

UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARD Certification recognizes farms and ranches that sustain the long-term productivity and health of Montana's grazing lands. Healthy grazing lands provide a wealth of products and values, from scenic beauty and recreational opportunities, to bountiful wildlife and clean water. Healthy grazing lands also benefit the largest segment of Montana's economy-the range livestock industry. For these reasons, healthy grazing lands are vitally important to the economic and environmental health of Montana.

Certification also demonstrates that Montana's farm and ranch families are preserving Montana's open space and scenic beauty while producing food and fiber using agricultural practices that are environmentally sustainable.

Why might farmers and ranchers consider becoming an UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARD?

• Inform the public about the compatibility of agricultural practices with environmental values.
• Receive technical assistance to help make better grazing land management decisions.
• Certified farms and ranches are eligible for Historical Site Preservation Agreements, another component of Undaunted Stewardship®.

Who is eligible for certification?
Certification as an UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARD is available statewide to farms and ranches with grazing lands. To be eligible, farms and ranches must be classified as agricultural land by the State of Montana (i.e., generally parcels of = 160 acres).

How does a farm or ranch become certified?
Certification is completely voluntary and obtaining assistance is only a phone call away. Contact the MSU Extension Range Management Office (406-994-3415) and mention your interest in UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARD CERTIFICATION. An MSU Extension grazing specialist will visit your ranch and help you prepare your confidential grazing plan.

Not having a management plan or not meeting all of the Stewardship Standards is no reason to dismiss certification. Technical assistance is available to help farms and ranches meet their goals.

UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARDS receive a wooden plaque and a metal roadside sign. UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARDS also are recognized in Undaunted Stewardship® promotional materials.

Landowners need to be re-certified every 5 years by submitting an updated grazing land management plan.

Stewardship Standards of UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARDS
UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARDS use state-of-the-science management practices that maintain or enhance environmental values of grazing lands such as open space, clean water, fish and wildlife, and scenic beauty. UNDAUNTED LAND STEWARDS pledge to adhere to the three Stewardship Standards listed below:

Stewardship Standard 1. Compliance with Laws and Undaunted Stewardship® Principles
1.1 Grazing land management demonstrates a long-term commitment to the environmental ethic embodied within Undaunted Stewardship®.
1.2 Grazing land management respects all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

Stewardship Standard 2. Grazing Management Plan and Environmental Impacts
2.1 A written grazing management plan exists and is kept up to date.
2.2 Fish and wildlife needs-for food, water, shelter, and space-are recognized and balanced with livestock grazing needs. Management recognizes the value of rare, threatened and endangered species.
2.3 The timing and intensity of livestock grazing is in balance with the land's ecological capacity.
Grazing is planned and controlled to promote sustained vegetative productivity, healthy and diverse plant communities, and adequate ground cover to minimize soil erosion and surface water runoff.
2.4 Surface waters receive no direct runoff from corrals and drylots. Contaminants from these sites are filtered through vegetative buffers.
2.5 Noxious weeds are absent, rare, or actively controlled.
2.6 Historical sites and historical landscape values are maintained or enhanced.

Stewardship Standard 3. Monitoring and Assessment
3.1 Landowners conduct annual monitoring to assess environmental impacts and effectiveness of grazing management practices.
3.2 Monitoring procedures enable landowners to assess changes over time.
3.3 Monitoring results are incorporated when management plans are revised.

Undaunted Stewardship® is a statewide partnership between Montana's agricultural and conservation organizations. Led by Montana State University (MSU), the Montana Stockgrowers Association, and the Bureau of Land Management, this public/private partnership works to preserve Montana's history, scenic beauty, environmental quality, and rural economy by encouraging sustainable land stewardship on private agricultural lands. Sixteen other organizations complete the public/private partnership:

• American Rivers Montana Governor's Office
• Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission Montana Grain Growers Association
• Missouri River Stewards Montana Land Reliance
• Montana Association of Conservation Districts Montana Public Lands Council
• Montana Association of State Grazing Districts Montana Wilderness Association
• Montana CattleWomen Montana Wool Growers Association
• Montana Farm Bureau Federation The Conservation Fund
• Montana Farmer's Union USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Undaunted Stewardship® is a cooperative and multi-faceted program led by federal, state and private sector agencies, seeking to ensure the long-term maintenance of the environmental quality and economic productivity of privately-owned agricultural landscapes, especially in areas rich in history along the Lewis & Clark Trail in Montana.