Much of the land of the Wortman Ranch still looks largely as it did before the days of Lewis and Clark, and except for the irrigated farmland next to the river, the landscape has not changed in character or appearance for hundreds of years. Ranching, anchored in the land's own natural productivity, is one of the main reasons. Rangeland vegetation evolved and thrived for thousands of years with seasonal but heavy grazing by wild animals central to the process. Today, wildlife remains abundant and livestock grazing helps the rangeland sustain itself. With careful management, the Wortman Ranch deliberately creates environmental benefits to waterfowl and wildlife while also producing superior beef. The ranch controls when, where, and for how long grazing takes place and gives each pasture periods of rest. As trimming house plants stimulates their growth, cattle eating vegetation at the right time and to the right extent creates hardier plants and increases plant growth. When livestock graze late in the year, after plants have formed seeds, their hooves help drive seeds into the soil, increasing the successful planting of new vegetation that sustains the environment.