Virtual Fencing
Revolutionizing the future of conservation and agriculture
How it works
How virtual fencing works:
Benefits for ranchers:
Virtual fencing significantly reduces the need for traditional barbed-wire fences, bringing notable benefits:
Benefits for conservation:
Traditional barbed wire presents a challenge for wildlife, whose migration depends on unobstructed and expansive landscapes.
Pilot Projects
Virtual Fence Conservation Fund
PERC’s first Virtual Fence Conservation Fund has awarded over $400,000 to pioneering farms and ranches that demonstrate the transformative potential of virtual fencing technology in livestock management and wildlife conservation.
Meet the Grant Recipients
Wolf Conflict Management
Krebs Ranch, Oregon—This project explores innovative approaches to reducing livestock-wolf interactions by using virtual fencing paired with other innovative livestock management tools to strategically manage cattle.
Partners: PERC, Colorado State University
Riparian Corridors and Big Game Migration
E Spear Ranch, Wyoming—Located in the Wood River drainage and a critical migration corridor for the iconic Cody Elk Herd, this 65,000-acre project addresses riparian corridor concerns, wildlife movement, and predator interactions while protecting historic sites, including Amelia Earhart’s cabin.
Partners: PERC, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Pollinator Conservation
B’Haven Goats, Wisconsin—This project represents the first known virtual fence initiative designed to conserve pollinator habitat, carefully managing a population of goats across 80 acres to support butterflies and nesting bobolink birds.
Partners: PERC
Riparian Restoration
Badger Creek Ranch, Colorado—Building off existing success with virtual fencing, this 6,000-acre project focuses on protecting sensitive creek corridors through precision management of cattle.
Partners: PERC
Wildfire Mitigation
Knoxville Wildlife Management Area, California—This project aims to reduce fire risk and improve landscape health by reintroducing strategic grazing on 5,200 acres to challenge existing land management narratives.
Partners: PERC, University of California Davis, Wood Ranch
Additionally, PERC is also supporting three other virtual fence projects outside our Virtual Fence Conservation Fund:
Greater Sage Grouse Habitat
Box X Ranch, Montana—Located within a key region for greater sage grouse breeding ground and habitat, Box X uses virtual fencing to ensure adequate timing and density of grazing patterns to support sage grouse populations. Additionally, the ranch aims to remove physical fences entirely for the benefit of pronghorn migration.
Partners: PERC, World Wildlife Fund
Grazing Improvement and Riparian Protection
Multiple ranches, Montana—This project will deploy virtual fencing across private and public lands owned and leased by the J Bar L, Martinell, and Matador Ranches in Montana’s Centennial Valley. This project aims to improve soil health, improve water quality through riparian filtration, and potentially improve predator conflict management.
Partners: PERC, The Nature Conservancy, Noble Research Institute
Big Game Migration
Pitchfork Ranch, Wyoming—Located within a major migration artery for the regionally significant Cody Elk Herd and Carter Mountain Pronghorn Herd, this project will collar cattle to assist big game migration and reduce livestock conflict with grizzly bears and wolves.
Partners: PERC, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Ricketts Conservation Foundation, Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab
Workshop
Convening Industry Leaders
In 2024, PERC and the Beyond Yellowstone Living Lab co-hosted the largest virtual fencing workshop of its kind in Bozeman, uniting experts across technology, agriculture, government, and conservation communities to discuss the latest developments in the field and analyze how the game-changing technology could be applied to support wildlife conservation. Learn more about the workshop.
research
A Roadmap for Deploying Virtual Fencing
Explore PERC’s policy framework for supporting innovative land management through the use of virtual fencing. Read the report.
Key Recommendations
- Integrate virtual fencing into federal conservation programs
- Promote flexibility in federal programs and grazing rules
- Streamline permitting and reduce regulatory barriers
- Improve agency coordination and consistency
- Establish and fund pilot projects in high-value conservation areas
Forge new frontiers
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