Monroe Mountain, Utah, is beginning its recovery from the Monroe Canyon Fire, with small aspen sprouts emerging in areas burned last summer. However, the fire destroyed approximately 60 miles of traditional livestock fencing, creating a significant challenge for ranchers who need to return cattle to safe grazing areas while permanent infrastructure is restored.
Replacing traditional wire and post fencing is an enormous undertaking. Tom Tippets, grazing manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, stated that such fences cost anywhere from $26,000 to $30,000 per mile. This means replacing 60 miles could total roughly $1.5 million or more. Tippets also noted that rebuilding is "very costly to put it back, it's time-consuming" and that there are not enough contractors to complete the work in a single year.
To address this, ranchers are adopting new GPS-enabled collars for cattle, which create virtual boundaries. This technology allows ranchers to guide cattle to designated grazing spots and keep them out of restricted areas. Blake Rich, a rancher operating in Morgan County, has recently implemented the system. He described the collars as resembling "cowbells," explaining that they are equipped with a chain and can be set to a training mode. As cattle approach a virtual boundary, the collar emits a warning beep. If the animal continues, it receives a brief electrical stimulus, encouraging it to turn back.
This technology provides ranchers with the flexibility to change their boundaries remotely, significantly reducing the labor involved in herd management. Rich highlighted that the system saves hours typically spent searching for cattle across expansive areas. He noted that ranchers can establish boundaries within their pastures to manage where cattle graze and access water. When it's time to gather the herd, they can "shorten your boundaries up and bring them down lower." This capability eliminates the need to search thousands of acres on horseback, saving considerable "cowboy work" and time.
Rich, who has worked in the industry for over half a century, expressed his surprise at such advanced technology, stating he never imagined managing a herd from his phone. Tippets, demonstrating the technology on Monroe Mountain, emphasized that the collars prioritize animal safety. He affirmed that they are "not torture devices" and are designed to break and fall off if they become snagged. Tippets also clarified that the warning sounds and electrical stimuli are not continuous if an animal crosses a virtual boundary, and Rich added that cattle quickly adapt to the system.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is providing financial assistance for virtual fencing and other tools to aid ranchers in responding to wildfire impacts. According to Tippets, the state invested approximately $600,000 in these efforts following the 2025 fire season and plans to increase this to about $900,000 for the 2026 fire year. For ranchers on Monroe Mountain, virtual fencing offers a vital means to return cattle to the landscape sooner, supporting the mountain's ongoing recovery from the wildfire.