Effects of Grazing in the Missouri Breaks Domestic livestock grazing takes place over the entire area. Hot-season grazing during July, August and September is the primary reason for the lack of riparian vegetation and regeneration of willow and cottonwood. This is supported by a study begun in 1995 by the BLM range researchers. The study showed that many more seedlings survive in areas that are not grazed. Ranchers are reluctant to keep their stock away from the river.
Regeneration is absent while riverbanks are broken down by cattle watering in the river.
Cattle can be seen standing in the river in October adding to the high nutrient level. Undaunted Stewardship, funded partly by the federal government, is the stockgrowers propaganda program. The name plays off Stephen Ambrose s book Undaunted Courage on Lewis and Clark and attempts to excuse how ranchers and farmers have overgrazed the Missouri Breaks area. The BLM is now trying to work with the problem of 55 grazing allotments covering 229,423 acres in the river corridor. The Missouri Breaks National Monument is a resource owned in common by all citizens.