Key Takeaways
- Halter, BLM, and the Foundation for America’s Public Lands launch a $2.7 million program to support ranchers using virtual fencing.
- The initiative aims to improve grazing efficiency, land stewardship, and flexibility in ranch management.
- Halter’s technology uses solar-powered collars, sound, and vibration to guide cattle without physical fences.
- Cotoni-Coast Dairies in California will be the first site to implement the program.
- The collaboration seeks to balance agriculture, conservation, and public access on BLM-managed lands.
Halter Partnership Overview
Halter, a provider of virtual fencing systems for cattle, has partnered with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its charitable arm, the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, to expand access to virtual fencing on public lands. The collaboration includes $2.7 million in funding to help ranchers integrate the technology into operations on BLM-managed lands.
Andrew Fraser, President of Halter, said the collaboration represents an important step forward: “This partnership with BLM and the Foundation for America’s Public Lands unlocks a number of benefits for ranchers. It also marks a major shift in how virtual fencing technology can be brought to public lands, demonstrating what’s possible when government agencies, producers, and technology providers work together.”
Support for Ranchers
The program is intended to give ranchers practical tools to improve productivity, animal welfare, and land management. By replacing traditional fences with virtual boundaries, ranchers can rotate pastures more efficiently, exclude sensitive areas, and reduce labor costs.
How Halter’s Technology Works
Halter’s system relies on solar-powered GPS collars, a mobile app, and connectivity towers. Cattle are guided with sound cues to stay within set boundaries, while gentle vibrations encourage movement to new pastures. A low-energy pulse is used only during training if cues are ignored.
The collars also allow ranchers to monitor grazing activity and adapt to seasonal or environmental changes. According to Halter, this flexibility can support biodiversity, protect waterways, and help mitigate wildfire risks.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies: First Implementation
The first ranch to use the funding is Cotoni-Coast Dairies in Santa Cruz County, California, where Wayne and Paige Pastorino run a beef operation on land managed by BLM that is being established as a national monument.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Paige Pastorino said: “This land has a lot more to offer beyond just grazing. For the past 25 years, it’s given my family a sense of purpose and connection. With Halter, we can manage how we use it more thoughtfully and be part of what the monument becomes over time.”
The Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument is expected to receive about 250,000 visitors annually.
Perspectives on Public Lands
Leaders from BLM and the Foundation for America’s Public Lands emphasized the importance of balancing multiple uses of public lands.
I Ling Thompson, CEO of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, said: “Our collaboration with Halter demonstrates how partnerships can bring resources like virtual fencing to support land stewardship, modern ranching, and keep trails safe and clear for all to enjoy. Virtual fencing helps the Bureau of Land Management to manage these hardest-working lands for multiple uses, ensuring they remain productive and accessible for future generations.”
Zachary Ormsby of BLM added: “Joining forces with producers and embracing innovative tools like Halter’s virtual fencing allows us to create a blueprint for smarter grazing and thriving ecosystems. We’re building a future where healthy landscapes, vibrant ranching communities, and responsible land stewardship go hand in hand.”
Halter
Founded in 2016, Halter provides technology solutions for beef ranches and dairy farms. The company has customers across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, with new farms adopting the technology daily. Halter employs over 200 people and is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with a U.S. office in Boulder, Colorado.
