A new handbook that focuses on using sheep and goats to manage vegetation and enhance landscapes was recently completed by a group of authors including NCAT staff. Targeted Grazing: A natural approach to vegetation management and landscape enhancement covers topics such as using targeted grazing to control invasive species of weeds and using sheep and goats to create fire breaks. It also includes grazing prescriptions that can be used to target specific plant species and examples of how sheep and goats are being used to manage vegetation. This handbook provides land and animal managers the tools they need to:

* Use animal behavior to improve targeted grazing;
* Keep livestock healthy for optimal vegetation control;
* Understand how plant respond to grazing;
* Monitor vegetation to achieve grazing goals; and
* Graze multiple animal species to improve landscapes.

Production of this handbook was a collaborative effort by researchers, educators, and producers from across the United States. NCAT Specialists Linda Coffey and Margo Hale contributed to the Targeted Grazing Handbook. Coffey and Hale completed a section that includes sources for further information about targeted grazing. Coffey also contributed to the chapter on multi-species grazing.

The Targeted Grazing Handbook will soon be available for download from the ATTRA website (www.attra.ncat.org). The Handbook, along with additional information can also be found online at: www.cnr.uidaho.edu/rx-grazing/index.htm. This publication is free to download, but it will also be available for purchase from the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) (www.sheepusa.org). A print copy of the Handbook along with a CD copy will be $25 per set from ASI.

For more information about the Targeted Grazing Handbook or for further information about using sheep and goats to manage vegetation you can contact NCAT specialists Linda Coffey or Margo Hale at 800-346-9140.