Rangelands are the dominant ecosystem in more than half of the Western United States. Many forces threaten the productivity and ecological integrity of these working landscapes and the human communities that rely on them including climate, fire events, invasive plants, grazing practices, urbanization, uncertain generational transfer, and recreational activities. Natural resource and agricultural advisors are challenged to provide managers, users, and advocates of rangelands with the information and tools needed to conserve and restore these critical landscapes. Demand for reliable science-based, synthesized and accessible information is needed now more than ever. Against this backdrop, greater understanding of the contributions of rangelands to vital ecosystem services is more important than ever. The advent of the internet provided an opportunity to address land management challenges through a collaborative approach spanning geographic boundaries. Coming together in 2002, rangelands professionals/Extension specialists, librarians, and technology experts from 19 land-grant universities in the Western and Great Plains regions formed The Rangelands Partnership to provide an increasingly connected world with authoritative information, resources, and tools. Over time, the RP has responded to changes in user needs by improving website accessibility, developing social media and multimedia outlets, and adding in-person programming.

The Rangelands Partnership bridges the gap between peer-reviewed content and on-the-ground professionals by maintaining a content portal which provides access to a complete reference website. The Partnership is a collaboration among university rangeland specialists and librarians, designed for those who rely on synthesized scientific information to manage rangelands or advise those who do. The Partnership uses different communication modes to connect individuals to reliable science-based information for application in the real world.

The Rangelands Partnership is a multi-disciplinary collaboration that creates and furnishes authoritative, reliable, and vetted rangeland ecology content for range managers, natural resource professionals, Extension educators, decision-makers, and students to support the health and sustainability of rangelands and the communities of people who depend on them.