Many new roads were created in the past decade in the Powder River Basin. Many of these roads access one or more methane wells, reservoirs, electrical relays or other energy production infrastructure. Some of these roads can be helpful to ranches and provide access to areas of the ranch that may previously have been hard to get to. Roads, even two tracks, can cause habitat fragmentation that can add to decreased sustainability of sage-grouse populations. These roads can also be costly and time consuming to maintain. One thing to consider is that once a production company is no longer pumping a field they will no longer be responsible for road upkeep. Roads in places with runoff, culverts, crown and ditch roads, etc. may not stay in usable shape for very long.
Reclaiming these roads or parts of these roads may be in a landowners best interest. Once negotiations for shutting the field down are finished there is no chance to change the terms. Often it can be beneficial to reclaim and replant a two track or gravel road, if you find that you need or want it later it will be easier and cheaper to start using it again than to reclaim a road you decide later you don't want. Keeping roads doesn't need to be an all or nothing proposition. Often you can make decisions on roads individually. Just keep the roads you really use the most and know you will have the manpower and equipment to maintain. One nice crown and ditch road through the center of the property can be a very good thing. But several gravel roads that go a mile out into a pasture and dead end at a methane well that will no longer be there may not be very useful and will likely become an eyesore and area for runoff and weed invasion. The road in the photo to the left goes out through the pasture and ends at this well. If reclaimed it will be one less road to worry about maintaining, less chance for a weed infestation and it was not a necessary part of the ranch operation anyway.
One gravel road a mile in length and 8 ft wide can remove nearly an acre of land from production. That may not seem like much, but a acre of land can produce 600 to 2000 lbs of feed in the Powder River Basin depending on where it is located. This can feed 1 or 2 cows for a month. Six miles of gravel road can cost 1 cow year. With a calf worth $800 or better that can be something to consider. Especially when you add the costs of weed control, maintenance and lost water infiltration on those same acres.
Reclaiming these roads or parts of these roads may be in a landowners best interest. Once negotiations for shutting the field down are finished there is no chance to change the terms. Often it can be beneficial to reclaim and replant a two track or gravel road, if you find that you need or want it later it will be easier and cheaper to start using it again than to reclaim a road you decide later you don't want. Keeping roads doesn't need to be an all or nothing proposition. Often you can make decisions on roads individually. Just keep the roads you really use the most and know you will have the manpower and equipment to maintain. One nice crown and ditch road through the center of the property can be a very good thing. But several gravel roads that go a mile out into a pasture and dead end at a methane well that will no longer be there may not be very useful and will likely become an eyesore and area for runoff and weed invasion. The road in the photo to the left goes out through the pasture and ends at this well. If reclaimed it will be one less road to worry about maintaining, less chance for a weed infestation and it was not a necessary part of the ranch operation anyway.
One gravel road a mile in length and 8 ft wide can remove nearly an acre of land from production. That may not seem like much, but a acre of land can produce 600 to 2000 lbs of feed in the Powder River Basin depending on where it is located. This can feed 1 or 2 cows for a month. Six miles of gravel road can cost 1 cow year. With a calf worth $800 or better that can be something to consider. Especially when you add the costs of weed control, maintenance and lost water infiltration on those same acres.
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