When J. David Bamberger purchased the first parcel of what is now a 5,500-acre ranch and environmental education center, woody species were threatening to take over the landscape, tremendous amounts of soil had eroded and streams had dried up. Bamberger began restoring the habitat with the goal of running a ranch and environmental education center. He cleared woody species and replaced them with native grasslands. Years later, creeks reappeared and the range supported a herd of cattle. Today, his ranch manager maintains from 100 to 260 head, depending on range conditions. He also raises goats to browse on undergrowth and add to farm profits.

With his ranch manager, Bamberger tends the rangeland through monitored stocking rates and prescribed burning. Their care has made the ranch an "eco-tourist" destination, and much of Bamberger's income comes through what he has dubbed "people ranching." Many of those visitors take out leases to hunt deer or attend workshops to view the ranch's many wildlife species, including 176 types of birds.