Gregg Simonds

Gregg has consulted and/or managed ranches in the Western United States since 1974. In 1978, he started working for Deseret Land and Livestock (UT, WY, and MT) and was the manager until 1996. In 1997, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reported, “Deseret Land and Livestock was a model for self-sufficiency that excels at protecting land and wildlife.”  He has recently published an article on the realities of ranching in a highly variable environment without the benefit of adequate feedback and the promise of what can happen when there is adequate feedback. This article is entitled Sailing the Sagebrush Sea

(https://www.perc.org/2015/11/24/sailing-the-sagebrush-sea/)

He first started studying and funding observation and scientific studies on sage grouse and their habitat needs in 1985. Some of this work continues to date. Knowledge from this work has directed habitat improvements and increases in sage grouse numbers on ranches he’s managed.

In addition, he has integrated concepts and tools to develop cutting edge land monitoring methods using remote sensing technologies to meet real management needs identified from forty years of practical experience. These technologies provide a statistically valid and economically feasible means to assess rangeland and riparian habitats. These technologies have been recognized by the Sage Grouse Initiative, used in their population studies, and published in their outreach article Hi-Res Maps Sharpen Focus on Sage Grouse Habitat (http://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/new-science-to-solutions-report-high-res-maps-sharpen-focus-on-sage-grouse-habitat/).