THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS, PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY A1651; SPECIFICALLY: 1) ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT; 2) ECONOMICS OF CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AFFECTING AGRICULTURE; 3) ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF LAND USE CHANGE; AND 4) POLICIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY.PERSISTENT CONVERSION OF GRASSLAND TO CROPLAND IN THE GREAT PLAINS HAS CAUSED MANY ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES. EVEN ON EXISTING PASTURE AND RANGELANDS, CONVENTIONAL GRAZING PRACTICES HAVE CAUSED RANGELAND DEGRADATION AND REDUCED ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE. TO AVOID GRASSLAND CONVERSION TO CROPLAND AND MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO IDENTIFY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY PROMOTE ECONOMIC PROFIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. MANAGEMENT INTENSIVE GRAZING (MIG) MIMICS THE NATIVE GRAZING ECOSYSTEM IN WHICH REGULARLY MOVING LARGE HERBIVORES ALLOWS SUFFICIENT TIME FOR GRAZED GRASS TO REGROW.RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHETHER MIG IS A SOCIOECONOMICALLY VIABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE OPTION AND WHETHER CURRENT POLICIES PROVIDE ADEQUATE ADOPTION INCENTIVES. THIS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EFFORT AIMS TO FILL THESE GAPS. WE WILL ASSESS SHORT- AND LONG-TERM ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY OF MIG FOR DIFFERENT CATTLE PRODUCTION PHASES WITH BUDGETING AND DYNAMIC MODELING APPROACHES. SWAT MODELS WILL EVALUATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF MIG AT RANCH AND WATERSHED SCALES UNDER DIFFERENT CLIMATIC, SOIL AND TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS RELATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL GRAZING ALTERNATIVES. A SURVEY WILL EXPLORE LINKS BETWEEN MIG ADOPTION AND LAND USE CONVERSION AND INQUIRE INTO PERCEPTIONAL FACTORS THAT MAY INHIBIT MIG ADOPTION. THE BENEFITS OF MIG TO SOCIETY AS A WHOLE AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CRP-GRASSLAND INITIATIVE WILL BE EVALUATED.