Abstract: Grassland ecosystem covers about 40% of Earth’s land, supporting millions of herders while providing vital ecological functions. However, due to joint influence of human activities and climate change, nearly half of hte grassland in the world is facing degradaion, and the restoration and management has become an important challenge. Herders, as primary users, shape restoration outcomes through their cognition and preference. Based on a survey of 200 households in the Zoige National Nature Reserve, this study examined herders’ views on degradation causes and their preferences for four restoration measures: grazing exclusion, seeding with grazing exclusion, seasonal grazing rest, and balancing grazing capacity. The results showed that herders mainly attributed degradation to natural or biological factors (e.g., pikas, climate change), with limited recognition of overgrazing. Seasonal grazing rest was most preferred (47%), compared with seeding with grazing exclusion (10.5%), balancing grazing capacity (10.5%), and grazing exclusion (8.5%). Regression analysis indicated that motivation, cognition of degradation, and prior experience significantly influenced choices. By comparing preferences across multiple measures, this study complements earlier single-focus research and offers insights for adaptive grassland management policies.