New $160K Grant Will Support Tribal Grazing Management Plans in 4 Corners Region

LOGAN, Utah — The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University has received $160,000 in grants to support research and community outreach on Tribal grazing practices in southeastern Utah and the surrounding Four Corners region.

The funding includes $100,000 from the Walton Family Foundation and $60,000 from Conscience Bay Research. The project will bring together Native elders, researchers and community leaders to document traditional Tribal grazing practices and combine them with modern science to build sustainable land management plans.

Many traditional grazing practices have been passed down orally for generations. But as elders pass away, some of this knowledge is at risk of being lost. At the same time, current grazing regulations are based on climate data that is nearly 100 years old, leaving today’s producers without updated guidance.

This project will be led by Reagan Wytsalucy, associate professor of agriculture and natural resources in San Juan County USU Extension and a member of the Navajo Nation.

“This research will help us blend Tribal traditions with modern science to create a resilient path forward,” Wytsalucy said.

The project will focus on three grazing districts and benefit more than 500 producers. Findings will be shared with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, Tribal governments and local producers. Educational sessions will also be held in Tribal communities.

“Our institute works to expand capacity for research that directly improves policy,” said Brian Steed, executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air. “We were delighted to connect the Walton Family Foundation and Conscience Bay Company to an innovative project at Utah State University’s San Juan County Extension office that hits on two of their key focus areas — improved water sustainability in the Colorado River Basin and the inclusion of Tribal perspectives.”

The project is expected to be completed in 2028.

“We are proud to support USU Statewide Campuses in this project,” said Stephanie Frohman, associate director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air. “Their work in studying and protecting healthy landscapes in every corner of Utah is core to Utah State University’s mission as a land grant institution.”

About the Walton Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of founders, Sam and Helen Walton and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities. They work in three areas: improving education, protecting rivers and oceans and the communities they support and investing in their home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. To learn more, visit waltonfamilyfoundation.org and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Conscience Bay Research

Conscience Bay Research is the philanthropic arm of Conscience Bay Company, a family-owned business based in Colorado. CBR focuses on community-based investments in both the built environment and western ranching. With a deep commitment to regenerative agriculture, water conservation, and economic and environmental resilience, CBR supports nonprofits across urban and rural communities tackling issues facing our land, water and natural resources. Over the past four years, CBR has deployed over $50 million to more than 100 grantees, from grassroots organizations to national policy initiatives.

About the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air

Established in 2021, the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University envisions a Utah that values its shared natural resources to create a high quality of life for all Utahns. By providing policy makers with the trusted research they need to make evidence-based policy decisions, the institute provides critical context to Utah’s most pressing land, water and air challenges today and for our future.

www.usu.edu/ilwa