Walk a Bighorn Basin ranch's rangeland condition, near Worland

This ranch's pastures have been set-stocked for decades with no forage or ground-cover baseline on record, so nobody can tell if the grazing pattern is rebuilding the range or wearing it down. Standard: USDA NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 528 (Prescribed Grazing) — rotational livestock grazing management that rebuilds rangeland forage cover, soil infiltration and organic matter by matching stocking density and rest periods to the land's recovery rate. SDG 15.3 land degradation neutrality. Proof: transect photo set + ground-cover estimates at 10+ points + GPS + baseline sheet Method (USDA NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 528 (Prescribed Grazing) — rotational livestock grazing management that rebuilds rangeland forage cover, soil infiltration and organic matter by matching stocking density and rest periods to the land's recovery rate. SDG 15.3 land degradation neutrality.): 1. Walk representative transects across the pasture zones with the rancher and photograph ground cover, bare patches, and forage species mix at each point. 2. Estimate percent ground cover and forage utilization at 10+ points using a step-point or line-transect method. 3. Record GPS per point and note any erosion, invasive species, or water-point degradation. 4. Compile the baseline sheet naming the follow-on practice per zone (cross-fencing, reseeding) against the NRCS CPS 528 target. Done when: transect photo set + ground-cover estimates at 10+ points + GPS + baseline sheet

Where

Bighorn Basin ranch rangeland near Worland, WY 82401

Pay

$80 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

transect photo set + ground-cover estimates at 10+ points + GPS + baseline sheet

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-08-31

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–120 minutes. Method of record: USDA NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 528 (Prescribed Grazing) — field transect assessment + rotational-grazing infrastructure planning

Bring

• GPS-capable phone
• camera
• measuring tape or pace-count reference
• step-point/line-transect data sheet
• field notebook

Steps

1. 1. Walk representative transects across the pasture's distinct zones with the landowner/rancher, photographing ground cover, bare patches and forage species mix at each point.
2. 2. Estimate percent ground cover and forage utilization at 10+ points using a step-point or line-transect method, recording GPS per point.
3. 3. Note any erosion, invasive species presence, or water-point degradation observed along the transects.
4. 4. Compile the baseline sheet naming the follow-on practice per zone (cross-fencing for rotation, reseeding, water development) against the NRCS CPS 528 target.

If it does not match the plan

• Ground cover below 50% in a zone with active livestock access -> flag for rest/rotation via cross-fencing before further stocking.
• Erosion or bare-soil connectivity observed along a slope -> flag the zone as a reseeding/soil-health priority.
• Invasive species covering more than 20% of a transect -> name it in the baseline sheet for a follow-on control plan.

What counts as done

• 10+ transect points photographed with GPS
• Ground-cover/forage-utilization estimate recorded per point
• Baseline sheet compiled naming a follow-on practice for every zone scoring below target

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.