The potential for west Texas ranchers to increase the profitability of thei
r enterprises by becoming more proactive in their management practices by u
sing seasonal climate forecasts is investigated using a focus group and eco
logical-economic modeling. The focus group felt forecasts could potentially
be used in making decisions concerning stocking rates, brush control, and
deer herd management. Further, the focus group raised concerns about the po
tential misuse of "value-added'' forage forecasts. These concerns necessita
te a revisiting of the value-added concept by the climate-forecasting commu
nity. Using only stocking-rate decisions, the potential value of seasonal f
orage forecasts is estimated. As expected, the economic results suggest the
value of the forecasts depends on the restocking and destocking price alon
g with other economic factors. More important, the economic results and foc
us-group reactions to these results suggest the need for multiyear modeling
when examining the potential impact of using improved climate forecasts.