Gov. Little approves Proclamation for International Year of Range and Pastoralists

NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 17, 2026

BOISE - Gretchen Hyde, Executive Director of the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission, requested that Idaho Gov. Brad Little proclaim 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Gov. Little presented Hyde with the proclamation at the Idaho Ag Summit in Boise.

Hyde made the request to show Idaho's support for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, noting it's "a timely opportunity to reaffirm Idaho's support for sustainable livestock grazing, balanced public land use, and collaboration among producers, conservation partners, and land management agencies to ensure healthy working landscapes throughout the state."

The full text of the proclamation is as follows:

"WHEREAS, rangelands are natural ecosystems in which the native vegetation is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs or shrubs which cover up to 19. 8 billion acres of land globally (54% of the terrestrial surface), a similar proportion of Idaho's total landmass,· and

WHEREAS, in Idaho these natural ecosystems include alpine, desert, forests, grasslands, prairies, sagebrush steppe, and wetlands; and

WHEREAS, rangelands are economically, socially, and culturally important to human communities through an array of ecological services,·and

WHEREAS, pastoralists are stewards of rangeland who raise livestock or semi-domesticated animals on rangelands, including ranchers and nomads, who have played a foundational role in the original development of Idaho through deep knowledge and connections with the land for the betterment of a healthy landscape coupled in economic prosperity,· and

WHEREAS, shared values of land, livestock and rangeland stewardship contribute both directly and indirectly to a variety of experiences in Idaho's rural and urban economies to support ranching families, local businesses, and jobs that sustain overall community vitality,· and

WHEREAS, the International Communities, in recognition of the important nature of rangelands and the significance of pastoralism to the stewardship and societal benefits of rangelands, designated 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists,· and

WHEREAS, recognizing the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists provides a timely opportunity to reaffirm Idaho's support for sustainable livestock grazing, balanced public land use, and collaboration among producers, conservation partners, and land management agencies to ensure healthy working landscapes throughout the state.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BRAD LITTLE, Governor of the State of Idaho, do hereby proclaim 2026, to be the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RANGELANDS AND PASTORALISTS in Idaho."

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists Proclamation - PDF

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