April 22, 2025 • Double Feature Virtual Film Screening
First Came Collaboration: Ranching for Riparia
Against the Herd
Tuesday, April 22 at noon MDT
Join the follow up "Tailgate Talk" at noon on April 24th!
Join us for an exclusive double feature film screening and panel discussion about rangeland restoration, collaboration and the need for more flexibility within federal lands grazing permits.
Public lands ranching gets a lot of stick for degrading landscapes in the West, but the experience of a growing number of ranchers is showing that the problem isn’t the cow, it’s the how.
In First Came Collaboration: Ranching for Riparia, we meet the owners of the Cottonwood and Boies ranches, outside of Elko, Nevada. Three decades ago, they came together to form the Shoesole Resource Management Group: a conservation collaboration involving federal, state, local, and private partners dedicated to holistic livestock grazing management. The results of their hard work are astounding, and show a pathway forward for our public lands that needs a brighter spotlight.
In Against the Herd, we dive deeper into this story with the Cottonwood Ranch and uncover the major barrier to growing this model of management on public lands around the West: regulatory red tape and the threat of lawsuits from radical environmental organizations bent on removing all livestock from public land, no matter the cost.
Following the films, stay with us to hear from the principals: Agee Smith of Cottonwood Ranch and Robin Boies of Boies Ranch, along with biologist Carol Evans. Ask your questions and join the conversation about grazing on public lands and what the future holds for these precious landscapes. And if that's not enough, join us two days later, on April 24th, in the first of our new series of "Tailgate Talks" to share your own experience with riparian and rangeland restoration using livestock, and hear from other land stewards.
RANGELAND RESTORATION
Against the Herd
Almost a century of poorly managed grazing degraded millions of acres of America’s public lands. But Cottonwood Ranch has discovered that cattle can actually be the key to restoring our rangelands.
Now the Smith family must convince legislators and agencies that cows aren't always eco-villains, or they’re sure to lose their land.
Media error: Format(s) not supported or source(s) not found
Download File: https://westernlandowners.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ATH-WLA-Reel-4-Cattle.mp4?_=2Download File: https://westernlandowners.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ATH-WLA-Reel-4-Cattle.mp4?_=2Agee Smith
Agee Smith, a fourth-generation rancher, manages the Cottonwood Ranch in northeastern Nevada alongside his daughter McKenzie and son-in-law Jason. Inspired by holistic management, Agee transformed the ranch's grazing practices to mimic the Great Plains' buffalo herds, resulting in healthier land and riparian areas.
A dedicated steward of the land, Agee is also committed to bringing people together. More than 20 years ago, facing serious concerns about the ranch's future, he created a coalition comprised of his family, agency personnel, environmental groups and neighboring ranches that still guide their management decisions. “Now we have problem-solving meetings, not barrier-type meetings. We all at least respect one another and a lot of us are good friends,” he says.
Carol Evans
Other than a short stint in Oregon, I have always lived and worked in Nevada. As a retired Bureau of Land Management biologist, I have spent more than 35 years working with ranchers and other partners to find ways to manage livestock grazing for the improvement of stream and riparian habitats. Over the decades, I’ve seen so many changes for the better, both in terms of how the streams here look and function, but also in terms of relationships among groups once considered adversaries. Most recently, I’ve been working with the Reno-based film production company, Little Wild and other partners to create YouTube videos showcasing the power and potential of collaboration and managed grazing to restore western landscapes.
Robin Boies
Robin Boies, co-owns and operates Boies Ranch in Wells, Nevada, with her husband, Steve. With a deep commitment to land health and wildlife habitat preservation, their ranch practices focus on maintaining both public and private lands while ensuring economic viability through sustainable livestock management.
Embracing innovation and collaboration, the Boies Ranch has partnered with state and federal agencies for over 30 years, resulting in significant accomplishments, such as replacing an open ditch irrigation system with a gravity-fed sprinkler system and protecting Greater Sage-Grouse habitats. Strict seasonal rest cycles have helped native plants like white sage and Great Basin wild rye thrive, showcasing the Boies' dedication to maintaining the ranch's ecological integrity.
Presented by
Film Credits
Against the Herd
Jaxon Derow - Director and Cinematographer
First Came Collaboration: Ranching for Riparia
© 2025 Little Wild productions
Directed and produced by Steve and Abbey Kinion of Little Wild, LLC. Made possible with support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Renewable Resources Extension Act and Hatch Project 1012851 through the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; Intermountain West Joint Venture; Western Landowners Alliance; Nevada Creeks and Communities Team; and Open Range Consulting.
Produced by
Against the Herd
Jaxon Derow
Join WLA to stay up to date on the most important news and policy for land stewards.
Become a member for free today and we will send you the news and policy developments critical to the economic and ecological health of working lands.
WLA works on behalf of landowners and practitioners throughout the West. We will never share your contact information with anyone.
©2025 Western Landowners Alliance • PO BOX 27798, Denver, CO 80227 • 505.466.1495
Western Landowners Alliance is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS.