It's because of Pete Garrett's family and livelihood that he cares about the sage grouse.

He's been utilizing range management for the past 20 to 30 years, in part to make sure he and his family can continue to do what they've always done.

Ultimately, managing his grazing land not only helps sage grouse, which was the initial goal, but also improves his herds and productivity.

"Ranching is my livelihood," he said.

If the grouse was to be placed on the endangered species list, he said, it could result in restrictions on grazing and detrimentally affect his ranch.

Garrett was one of dozens of ranchers who filled the Bates Creek Community Center on Tuesday morning to listen to Game and Fish Extension Range Specialist Roy Roath talk about rangeland ecology and monitoring, plant physiology, animal behavior and grazing strategies.

The sage grouse population has been declining steadily for the past several decades, Roath said, which makes it even more important to manage land properly.

Most of the ranchers, representing more than 10 area ranches, had heard about the practices and knew portions of the information. But not all had heard it explained all at one time, said Stacey Scott, chairman of the Bates Hole/Shirley Basin Sage-Grouse Working Group.

"Ranchers are the key to sage grouse management," he said. "We have got to manage the water and land, and it will be beneficial to everyone."

After a morning classroom session, the group went into the fields so Roath could give them visible examples of the results of some of the different practices.

While protecting the sage grouse is one of the goals of range management, Roath said, it is also creating better land with more water and healthier animals, both wild and domesticated.

This is one of more than a dozen workshops Roath, who also works for Colorado State University, will conduct in Wyoming to help teach ranchers about rangeland management. The workshops are both for the sage grouse and also to help ranchers like Garrett, his children and ultimately his grandchildren, continue their livelihood for years to come.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com