— Forage from public lands accounts for less than 10 percent of total forage 

 consumption. 



— It is assumed that forage production on private lands will become more 

 productive over time. Thus, much of the current and prospective range forage 

 supply situation depends on private lands. 



— Total supply of range forage is expected to increase 52 percent by 2040, with 

 most of the increase coming from private lands. 



Range Forage Demand-Supply Comparisons 



After accounting for international trade, the derived demand for forage is expected to 

 increase 54 percent above the demand in 1 985 by the year 2040. This represents the 

 demand for all sources of grazed forage, including the demand for forages from range 

 and forest lands. The combination of increased rangeland area (5 percent) and 

 productivity increase (47 percent) would lead to a 52-percent increase in supply by 

 2040. Forage supplies are approximately equal to demands under these assump- 

 tions. 



Based on projected population estimates for the Western United States, we anticipate 

 that wild herbivores will need 19 percent more forage in 2000 than they did in 1985. 

 Since forage supplies were projected to approximate the forage demand for livestock, 

 wildlife forage needs may require attention through range enhancement. 



Opportunities for management— The opportunities for management of the range 

 forage resource relate to range vegetation management, management of grazers and 

 browsers, resolving social issues, and more effective planning for multiple demands 

 on rangelands. 



Range vegetation management is the management of vegetation for a mix of re- 

 source outputs, including herbaceous and shrub forage for domestic and wild ani- 

 mals, water quality and quantity, air quality, open space, genetic material, recreational 

 use, plant diversity, community stability, and scenic quality. 



Opportunities for range vegetation management include: 



— Increasing the seasonal availability of forages by interseeding of species, 

 converting part of the grazing land to other forage species, or adjusting the mix 

 of animal species; 



— Integrating range forage management more fully with the management of forest 

 and rangelands for other renewable resources, especially for wildlife and fish 

 and water in riparian zones; 



— Developing biological controls for noxious weeds; and 



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