RSVP – Ranch Systems Viability Planning
The Ranch Systems and Viability Planning (RSVP) network supports ranchers in the Northern Great Plains who want to improve their grazing management practices, increase education and skills related to ranch and grass management, monitor ecological changes over time, and network with other producers on similar paths. Currently, ranches must be in WWF’s SRI focal area of central and eastern Montana, western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and the sandhills of Nebraska.
RSVP was started in 2020 and aims to make lasting positive ecological and community impacts across the Northern Great Plains by preventing grassland destruction and supporting improved grazing management. During the first five years, which were considered a pilot, the goal was to impact 1 million acres by 2025. We reached our million-acre goal one year ahead of schedule, and currently, there are 112 ranches enrolled in the program covering nearly 1.3 million acres. Through RSVP , WWF is not only supporting individual livestock producers but also supporting community resilience in rural areas by strengthening the grass-based economy.
Ranches enrolled in RSVP are provided with educational scholarships, access to financial assistance to support grazing infrastructure improvements, grazing and management technical assistance, and in-depth rangeland and ecological monitoring. The ecological monitoring project is the largest of its kind that is conducted on privately owned grasslands in the US. Monitoring crews measure soil organic carbon, soil stability, ground cover, vegetation characteristics, water infiltration, and grassland bird species.
Learn more about the RSVP program and how to apply here.