Wyoming is a great place to be a rancher, even if you are a dude rancher! We are fortunate to have several great Dude Ranches right here in the Buffalo area. Below are a few of our favorites:

HF Bar Ranch
HF Bar Ranch is located in the shadows of the Big Horn Mountains, about 25 minutes from the city of Buffalo and bordering Wyoming’s Big Horn National Forest. The Ranch has received placement on the National Register of Historic Places along with being named one of the "1,000 Places to See Before You Die". For more information about HF Bar Ranch visit their website at www.hfbar.com

Paradise Guest Ranch
Located sixteen miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming, Paradise Guest Ranch is a rustic yet elegant retreat that offers fly fishing, horseback riding, and great food. For more information please visit their website at www.paradiseranch.com

TA Guest Ranch
For an opportunity to try your hand at authentic ranch activities try the TA Ranch, the guest get a feel for real ranch operations, learn horsemanship skills and work the cattle. For more information on the ranch please visit http://www.taranch.com/

If you are in the market to buy or sell a ranch contact us at (307) 684-5201 or visit our website at www.pfisterlandco.com.





Pfister Land Company is founded on a commitment to excellence, our experienced brokers offer comprehensive, integrated services through the broad range of unique skills, experiences, talents, and perspective.

Pore space is defined as the space containing the liquid and gas phases of soil. These pore spaces and there ownership have recently become more valuable and with this value has also come a need for clarification of rights. In Wyoming a law governing geologic carbon sequestration, the injection and storage of carbon dioxide in underground reservoirs, was recently signed. In an article by Scotti Gray she includes the following as notable aspects of the law:

• Pore space may be conveyed in the same manner as the mineral estate.
• A conveyance of the surface estate is a conveyance of the pore space estate, unless specifically stated otherwise.
• A conveyance of the pore space state must set forth a specific description of the location of the pore space. Such description may include a subsurface geologic or seismic survey or a metes and bounds description of the surface. If a surface description is used the transfer includes pore space at all depths.
• It does not alter the primacy of the mineral estate or the right of the mineral estate lessee to reasonable use of the surface for exploration and production.
• It does not alter the right of the mineral estate owner to drill or bore through a geologic sequestration site in accordance with the law.
• The injection of carbon dioxide for the purpose of enhanced recovery is not subject to the provisions of the carbon sequestration law.
• The Department of Environmental Quality will regulate Wyoming’s carbon sequestration program.
  
  This bill defines more ownership rights for land owners and states that pore spaces underneath surface estates are owned by the surface owner. It also speaks of the direction the State of Wyoming is heading, addressing issues such as carbon emissions and thier environmental effect, as well as the ownership and storage issues that effect the citizens of the state.
  
  Sources:
  Gray, Scotti. 2008. Wyoming Clarifies Pore Space Ownership. Gray and Johnson, P.L.L.P. Attorneys at Law, Legal Newsletter. Vol. 2 Issue 2.
  
  

Have you ever wondered what exactly corn ethanol is? Well the simple answer is that it is ethanol produced from corn. Okay let's be more precise it is a fuel derived from the sugars in corn and it is considered to be the most common type of ethanol in the United States however its production remains highly controversial.

The Good. According to the National Corn Growers Association "Ethanol is a significant market for U.S. corn, consuming more than 2.3 billion bushels in 2007 to produce 6.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel." They continue to say that "Ethanol's value goes far beyond its role as a major use of corn. Ethanol plants have helped rejuvenate rural communities across the country by creating high-paying jobs, boosting local tax revenues and creating partnership opportunities for local businesses." The NCGA tackles a number of 'myths' that are associated with corn ethanol such as; ethanol raising the cost of gasoline, environmental impact, and the benefit or lack there of to farmers. Follow this link to read NCGA's information on these myths.

The Bad. Here is one of the downsides according to CNN Money.com "Ethanol is energy intensive to produce, and the recent boom has pushed corn prices to more than $5 a bushel (from $2 in 2006). That is increasing the cost of everything from beef to soft drinks. The biofuels craze is helping drive up grain prices worldwide as farmers devote more acres to corn and less to other crops. Over 450 pounds of corn are needed to fill a 25-gallon tank with ethanol_ enough calories to feed a person for a year." Follow this link to read the entire article.

The debate is still swirling around this topic and only one this is for sure corn ethanol is not soon going away so further education and research on the 'good and the bad' is still needed.

Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0804/gallery.green_biofuels.fortune/
http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/main/killing_myths.asp

What is the Grazing Land Conservation Initiative? According to the United State Department of Agriculture "The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is a nationwide collaborative process of individuals and organizations working together to maintain and improve the management, productivity, and health of the Nation's privately owned grazing land. GLCI was developed to provide for a coordinated effort to identify priority issues, find solutions, and effect change on private grazing land. This initiative will complement and enhance existing conservation programs." There is a wealth of information available on the USDA website regarding this initiative. This is an excellent resource for private grassland owners or parties who are interest in buying a grassland ranch and would like to know more about this particular initiative.

For more information please visit:
Natural Resource Conservation Service