SCLT develops drought planner

Although this spring shows evidence that it will provide enough moisture, the Sheridan Community Land Trust has been at work to prepare Sheridan County for the worst when it comes to drought.

SCLT has introduced the Sheridan County Drought Planner. This tool is aimed at helping local ranchers and ag producers. 

“Working lands are integral to SCLT’s work to conserve open space, wildlife habitat and healthy waterways,” said SCLT Executive Director Brad Bauer. “Planning for drought ahead of time can help identify opportunities that might ease the stress when the time comes. It might even identify opportunities that can be implemented in years without a drought that will make a positive change in your operation.”

According to the land trust, The Sheridan County Drought Planner was created as one way to help alleviate drought-related headaches and heartbreaks many members of the local agricultural community have said they experience.

“In SCLT’s survey last spring, the majority of producers reported high stress from drought,” said SCLT Conservation Program Manager Megan Kent. “Despite this, none surveyed had a written drought plan.”

By creating a drought planner, Kent said SCLT is hopeful some of that stress is alleviated.

According to SCLT, that’s been the focus of the work by Carter Dubberley. The intern working with SCLT through the Sheridan College Foundation’s Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation Intern program has spent much of his time with SCLT researching drought plans and consulting with local ranchers to produce “a personalized, interactive worksheet” ag producers in Sheridan County and the Bighorns region can use to help plan today for the dry times that will certainly come sometime in the not-too-distant future. Other contributors to the effort were Zach Koltiska, Matt McMeans, John Buyok, McCade Brown and Alan Dubberley.

Get your copy of the Sheridan County Drought Planner, here.