SRM Spotlight: Dave Pellatz, Wyoming Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

Dave Pellatz of Wyoming says that his work in rangelands is his third or fourth different major career. After receiving degrees in both petroleum engineering and geological engineering as well as owning a couple of different businesses, he has returned to the rural setting he loves.

Dave grew up on a ranch, and his family and in-laws both have ranches in the Thunder Basin grasslands. He says that his career switch allowed him to return to the Thunder Basin area and raise a family there. Dave adds that “if you’re going to live in a place where you’re very distant from jobs, you have to be creative in what you do.” His creativity led him to work on contract as Project Manager for the Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association and as Range Manager for the Thunder Basin Grazing Association. He explains that the skill sets he gained in his other positions have transferred readily since much of what he does pertains to management. However, he does want to gain a better understanding of the ecosystems in which he works. To that end, he is now working on a Master of Science degree in Rangeland Ecosystem Science through Colorado State University.

This learning process is also where SRM came into play three years ago. Dave explains that since joining, he has used the Society “to accelerate the learning curve to get a broader base of information in specific range topics. The ongoing conferences and the print publications (with back issues online) have been most valuable to him. He adds that Rangeland Ecology and Management suits his needs, but likes that Rangelands is also offered as a more accessible resource for those who aren’t necessarily interested in research.

One division in SRM that Dave sees as less positive is the generation gap. Dave notes that universities are successful to some extent in facilitating the transfer of knowledge to younger generations. However, he believes SRM might be able to participate in this transfer by helping to encourage this at the agency level. Largely, Dave says, the success of any mentoring program depends on who potential mentors have available to teach. Too often, information from people with on-the-ground experience is not captured and does not have the impact it should. Dave says that there would be value in doing interviews with members with many years of experience so that some of their knowledge could be recorded.

Dave sees a broad interest base in rangelands and rangeland management. The use of technology in the field allows information to reach people from many diverse backgrounds. He argues that without a strong online presence, the Society will find it difficult to compete in upcoming years. He would like to see SRM continuing to develop and support the use of technology to share information. “Don’t replace what’s tried and true,” he says, “but if you don’t stay ahead of trends you’ll become irrelevant.”

Dave cautions that it can be dangerous to think that one understands all the interrelationships in the very complex system in which we work. His advice to land managers is to be sure that management decisions are accompanied by continuous monitoring efforts, which help to embrace complexity and the unknowns in the system. “Tread carefully with the tools you employ,” he says. “Know your environment and the parameters before you go out and try to change the world.”

SRM Spotlight: Tate Lantz, South Dakota Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

South Dakota native Tate Lantz is a fan of the producer forums that were held at the Denver Annual Meeting last year. Their value is “a no brainer,” he says, adding that these forums were “at least as well attended as any of the others.” He believes that reaching out in this way to producer-oriented groups and landowners will go a long way toward making these members feel more comfortable in a Society that he believes has moved more toward academia since he joined over twelve years ago.

Tate grew up on a ranch in central South Dakota, raising both cattle and crops. Even after graduating from South Dakota State University and ending up with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), he still enjoys being able to go home and work on the family ranch. Now a Rangeland Management Specialist with the NRCS Rapid City Field Office, Tate also enjoys skiing and snowboarding and, he laughs, “I seem to hunt more than my wife likes!” Tate joined SRM when he first went to work with the NRCS in 1998; he recently finished his term on the South Dakota Section SRM Board of Directors and is also the current Awards Committee Co-Chair for his Section.

The NRCS, Tate says, encouraged him to get involved in SRM by helping new employees to attend conferences and other events. However, it is the connections he has made that have kept him a member of the Society. “You can’t get these benefits anywhere else,” he remarks. The people he has met and the ability to contact them with questions have been instrumental in his career. He adds that SRM has improved younger members’ opportunities to open those lines of communication. When Tate was first starting his career, he says, “you’d just start a conversation when you were sitting next to a guy at the bar.” Now, programs like the Tapping the Top Mixer at Annual Meetings make building relationships a lot easier.

Tate recommends that young members attend the International Meetings and talk to people while there. He adds that younger members should simply introduce themselves if they want to learn more about a topic of discussion between other members, saying that “most will let you right in” to the conversation. The whole meeting, he believes, is a great place to foster relationships between generations. He suggests that older members get to know one or two younger people and stay in contact with them to mentor to them through their careers. He also counsels younger members to actively seek out experienced members and take them on as mentors to coach them through their careers. “It would be nice [for these members] to have… a go-to person,” he explains.

Such connections are especially important in these transitional times. Tate comments that even locally, he sees more NRCS professionals retiring than are starting with the agency. This will be an issue down the road as access to fewer employees places more stress on projects and the workforce. However, it also means that there will be a lot of job openings and opportunities for professionals. Tate observes that SRM seems to be doing well at getting and keeping young people involved, and suggests that it help keep these members abreast of new job opportunities.

Tate’s vision for SRM involves more diversity. He says the different groups— “the producer, the rancher, the hunter, the birdwatcher, and the [academic]—they all need to be involved.” He wants the Society to maintain its activity in rangeland management and hopes that events such as the Annual Meeting will move closer to “the heart of real-life ranching” so that landowners would be better able to attend. Tate believes that the Society will continue to thrive by better incorporating land managers and producers into its ever-changing face.

SRM Spotlight: Dan Macon, California-Pacific Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

“Since I’ve started ranching, I haven’t had as much time to volunteer with SRM,” admits Dan Macon, past president of the California-Pacific Section and current owner of Flying Mule Farm in the foothills northeast of Sacramento. There, in Placer and Nevada counties, they raise mostly sheep, and market grass-fed lamb and beef to restaurants and other consumers. Before the farm was founded in 2001, Dan had a variety of careers, starting with an Agricultural and Managerial Economics degree at the University of California-Davis. After graduation, he worked with the California Cattleman’s Association on federal land policy, endangered species concerns, and range management issues. He also helped start—and served as the first executive director of—the California Rangeland Trust (CRT). After that, he worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and then a local land trust.

Dan enjoys reading and camping and is very interested in wildlife. Fly-fishing is another favorite activity when he has the time. Despite the relative inactivity he claims now, he has also been quite involved in SRM since he joined fifteen years ago. Besides serving on the California-Pacific Section board and as the Range Excellence Committee Chair, he has served as Section President in 2001 and received the Ranch Manager of the Year award.

Professional development was Dan’s reason for joining SRM: the Society gave him a chance to gain some technical knowledge of rangeland management since he did not have much background in the field. He says he liked—and likes—that SRM brings together the science and art involved in managing rangelands, and that SRM is the only professional group to bring an ecosystem approach to range management. Looking back, he says that the education he has received through SRM has been very valuable in his career, along with the opportunity to make connections with other professionals. Another strength of the Society, he says, is its ability to make available information to make ranching operations more sustainable and economically viable.

Dan says he was at the forefront of a demographic change among students interested in rangeland management. When he was a student, the profession was beginning to see a shift away from those with agricultural backgrounds—a change which is evident in SRM membership. Dan says that this movement has given range managers a great opportunity to collaborate with other professions and will make the profession stronger in the long run: “diversity is a good thing” when it provides a group with more perspectives and backgrounds.

According to Dan, it is important to bring new and experienced members together. He says that meaningful involvement for young members consists of more than speaking contests, and that direct, hands-on experience with professionals is vital for the professional development of members early in their career. It also provides an opportunity for both young and old to learn from each other. He would like to see more recent college graduates taking on internships on farms and ranches, and SRM continuing to take a bigger role in that: “Opportunities go beyond programs at universities. The professional knowledge is very important.”

Natural resources- and agriculture-related professions, Dan says, will continue to undergo a profound change as interest in local food production for national security increases. He believes that rangeland management is following the same trends as agriculture in that the interest in both has skipped a generation or two, but a new generation is now receptive to SRM’s approach to rangeland management; SRM just needs to reach them. He sees a bit of a struggle in the Society as perceptions of rangelands shift, and believes that SRM will best attract new members in the future by staying relevant. Efforts to broaden outreach to the upcoming generation, while providing professional development opportunities relevant to the public, ranchers, and communities, will be important in achieving this goal.

Dan’s great hope for SRM is that it continues to diversify its membership along a spectrum of ages and backgrounds. He would like to see it recognized as a place for scientific debates and a safe environment for discussions between ranchers and environmental groups.

He also hopes that younger members will get involved by attending section and parent society meetings—but “not going and passively participating: getting involved!” The field tours, he says, are critical and counsels that younger members should seek out more experienced members at these events to get help, information, and mentorship. He concludes with a lesson he has learned from his own diverse background: “Find a way to do what you love!”

2011 Rangeland JobFair

Guest Post by Linda Coates-Markle, SRM-BLM Liaison

We are looking for employers to have a

BOOTH at the 2011 Rangeland JobFair!

Folks,

Aspiring new range professionals need your help. We are looking for employers to have a BOOTH at the 2011 Rangeland JobFair.

Even if you currently have no available positions, consider being there to talk to enthusiastic candidates who are wanting to know what the rangeland profession has to offer them. Our workforce numbers are dwindling and we all need to do a better job of recruitment. A little bit of your time can go along way to inspiring exceptional candidates to join the future workforce.

The JobFair is being offered Sunday Feb 6, 2011 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in conjunction with the 64th SRM Annual Meeting and Trade Show.

ITS FREE...........all you need to do is fill out a reservation form and return it to the SRM headquarters office.  For more details and the reservation form click here.

Reservation forms must be received by Friday January 14th, 2011. If you have any questions, please give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Linda Coates-Markle
JOBFAIR Coordinator, BLM-SRM Liaison
10030 W. 27th Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80215-6601
Phone: 303-986-3309
Fax: 303-986-3892
Email: lcmarkle@rangelands.org

Colorado Section Meeting

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

I recently received a heartfelt Colorado welcome during my first trip to the Western Slope portion of the state for the Colorado Section SRM’s Winter Meeting in Grand Junction. Held jointly with the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s Habitat Partnership Program (HPP) on November 30-December 2, this event was a great opportunity to meet many of the active members from another section.

The same section that organized a great international Annual Meeting last February didn’t disappoint this winter. The organizers pulled a great set of speakers together to support their theme, Wildlife Habitat Management.

Officer installation occurred at the business meeting early Wednesday morning, as well as updates on this involved section’s various happenings, the Billings meeting latest, and outreach news. After Director of Outreach and Leadership Development Aleta Rudeen brought members up-to-date on the current changes in SRM, I gave a talk on what I have learned throughout the course of my Outreach Internship position with SRM and the interviews I have conducted as part of that program. Stay tuned later this month for a summary blog post focusing on my internship experience and what I have learned from talking with SRM members this semester.

After the business meeting, CSSRM and HPP reconvened together for the day’s symposia. Talks during the meeting covered a broad range of topics, from defining habitat to the effects of pine beetles on Colorado’s forests, and from riparian area habitat management to the effects of CRP on wildlife habitat.

One of my favorite talks was “The Wisdom Body: Nutrition, Health, and Nature’s Pharmacoepia.” Dr. Fred Provenza focused on the ways that animals—and people, too—learn to eat various foods based on their culture and the primary and secondary compounds found in them. It was an interesting and unique talk in defense of his assertion that natural landscapes serve as nutrition centers and pharmacies for both herbivores and those who eat them.

Another great talk, "Ranching for Wildlife, or What's Good for Livestock is Good for Wildlife" was given by rancher Kelley Bater. In it, he focused on the livestock improvements he has made on his own ranch and how developing for livestock helps wildlife, as well. It was an interesting perspective on an important topic!

The award presentations at the Wednesday night banquet recognized some outstanding people such as the recipients of the Excellence in Rangeland Conservation award, the LeValley family of Hotchkiss. See some of the management practices being implemented on LeValley ranch here.

The highlight of the evening for many was John Fielder’s visually striking presentation of his new photography book, Ranches of Colorado. For the book, John traveled all over the state of Colorado, photographing fifty ranches in order to capture the open space and habitat that ranches provide.

Overall, the Colorado Section helped host an excellent section meeting. I gained a great deal from both the meeting content and the chance to speak with many of the section members. Thank you, Colorado Section, for this introduction to another portion of your beautiful state! I can’t wait to visit again soon!

SRM Spotlight: Matt Wagner, Texas Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

“Don’t be afraid to go in a direction that’s outside your comfort zone, your area of expertise,” says Matt Wagner, Deputy Director for the Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He has always loved being outdoors—first fishing, then hunting—and learning about the plants and the wildlife there.

So it was that he became involved in Range Management at Texas A&M University and joined SRM, and later (after a brief stint of working on ranches in Texas) received his Master’s degree in Range Management at Montana State University. Matt moved back to Texas with his wife after three years in Montana and began his professional career at the Texas A&M Experimental Station. He has now been with Texas Parks and Wildlife for 22 years, and received his Ph.D. in Regional Planning, with an emphasis in Developmental and Water Planning, from Texas A&M in 2005.

Matt says he still enjoys hunting and fishing, as well as reading (especially about conservation) and getting together with his large family in Texas.  After almost 30 years in SRM, Matt has served on various section committees and as section Director. A little over a year ago, he took on the duties of Second Vice President of the Texas section and in January will assume the role of President of the largest section in the Society for Range Management. He says it’s important to be involved in a professional society for the networking, continuing education, and professional development—especially the opportunity to become a certified professional.

Overall, though, networking is one of the aspects he has found to be most valuable throughout his involvement with SRM. He has met many inspiring people, young and old: especially, he says, “the newer ones who are really hungry for information and whose energy rubs off on some of us old guys.”One aspect of networking in the Society that Matt feels is particularly important is getting long-term members—those with experience—to mentor the newer generations. He comments that the constant communication younger generations now experience, with friends and colleagues, is distracting and creates an expectation that things should happen quickly. They have to learn that anything takes time when dealing with the natural environment. He suggests that the Internet, as a tool with which young people are very familiar, could be employed to organize a mentoring system in SRM.

However, current practices such as the Annual Meeting mixers and especially local field days and tours are great ways for the two groups to come together. He says that younger members can learn a great deal by interacting with older generations at these functions when they turn their cell phones off and are unafraid to introduce themselves to professionals.

Another important shift in the Society today involves incorporation of new viewpoints and reaching out to people in “nontraditional” areas such as policy, human dimensions, and social relationships. The multidisciplinary approach to managing rangelands, Matt says, will retain its importance as the profession moves forward. Rangelands are the largest system in the world so we will always need people with specific training in rangelands, but these people will have to be able to work with other aspects as well. And, says Matt, just as range managers now have to deal with a broader range of factors for successful management, they also have to deal in broader scales. Technology such as Google Earth allows land managers to see their parcels in the context of the surrounding landscape, and integrate the bigger soil and water properties. Matt would like to see larger organization within SRM based on larger landscape details such as watersheds or large ecological areas.

Matt also talked about the changing US and global economy. He admitted that it doesn’t look so bright, but added that by the time today’s college student reaches retirement age, we will have seen natural resources management and the economy merge. “It’s based on scarcity—the economy will follow demand. Natural resource management is the next growth industry.” He foresees a future where natural resource managers become national leaders and hopes that SRM will become more visible to the people “on the land, managing the land” as this change takes place.

Interagency Rangeland ESD Pilot Workshop

 
The Interagency Rangeland Ecological Site Description (ESD) Pilot Workshop was held November 16 - 18, 2010 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The workshop was a huge success with over 85 participants and three full days of excellent presentations and valuable discussions.  The Pilot Workshop convened technical leadership from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, and US Forest Service, and was held at the Agricultural Research Service Jornada Experimental Range.

One primary objective of this workshop was to generate interest and support for a continuing interagency collaborative approach in the employment and utility of ESDs as well as for subsequent field-level training workshops. SRM is pleased to be in a position to support these ground-breaking efforts and is committed to moving forward with end products from the Pilot Workshop and next steps.  SRM is particularly excited to be a major player in the development of subsequent field level training workshops targeted for late Spring/early Fall 2011.  These subsequent workshops are intended to embrace a much broader audience including the entire SRM membership as well as non-members. Instructors for these workshops will not be limited to federal employees, but will encompass the larger knowledge base from university scientists, private consultants and other interested parties. 

Workshop objectives were to:

1. Provide an in-depth background on the fundamentals of ecological sites and descriptions.
2. Increase the understanding of current and emerging policy and science on how to define ESD's and develop ESD projects.
3. Explore collaborative applications of ESDs to decision-making across a variety of state-level (regional) scenarios.
4. Scope preliminary plans for moving forward with agency implementation at the field level.

To meet these objectives, the Pilot Workshop included a variety of presentations on ESDs and the interagency approach to their development and use.  The middle of the workshop included an informative field tour, which was useful in linking the scientific concepts of ESDs to what ecological sites and different states might look like on the ground.  The workshop concluded with breakout sessions and an open mic session to discuss the challenges and opportunities of ESDs, and a synthesis of the workshop.

Click here to view the Pilot Workshop agenda and details.  Click here to visit the Jornada website for access to workshop presentations and materials, including PDF documents of PowerPoint presentations from the Pilot Workshop.  A special thank you to the sponsors of this Pilot Program and to all of those who were instrumental in moving this process forward.

Stay tuned for information on the subsequent training workshops.

SRM Spotlight: Roger Blew, Idaho Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

Ecologist Roger Blew recently acquired his pilot’s license. He also owns half an airplane, which “seems to be the expensive half,” he laughs. Other pastimes include fly fishing, spending time with his dog, Bud, and—until recently—planning the Idaho Section SRM winter meeting.

Roger says joining SRM was a logical step when he began working with Stoller Corporation in Idaho 15 years ago and began work on sagebrush steppe ecosystems—the Society was “a natural fit for where I was in my career, and what I needed in the professional world,” he says. Of course, work in rangelands meant returning to old interests.

He grew up in Kansas and did his undergraduate and graduate studies in rangelands at Emporia State and Kansas State Universities, but his post doctoral work in forest systems at the University of Washington. His work with Stoller in sagebrush steppe ecosystems, after he finished his post doc, brought him back to the interests he had had when taking range classes in Kansas and later pursuing his Ph.D. in soil ecology at the University of Calgary.

Since joining Stoller Corporation and SRM upon completion of his post doc, Roger has served as the Idaho section newsletter editor for four or five years, and recently took over the duties of Idaho Section President at the section meeting, on November 11.

Roger believes that SRM has undergone some important changes since he joined—namely, the transition of the flagship journal from the Journal of Range Management to Rangeland Ecology and Management, an ecology-based publication more similar to the journal of 15 years ago and the associated emphasis of ecologists in the Society. He also notes that new demands have been placed on ranch managers as new values have been placed on rangelands, and says that SRM has made a positive move to become more applicable to broader society by accommodating those changing values. The range profession itself has changed as well, incorporating new technology and new emphases on grazing plans and assessments, NEPA documentation, and other office-related work. Field work is still a major component of managing rangelands, but different skill sets (such as understanding statistical models and new tools such as GIS and GPS) are gaining more importance. These and other factors have forced managers to look at landscapes as a whole and highlighted the need for interagency cooperation and management for multiple uses.

When it comes down to it, Roger sees and strongly supports a movement to place greater emphasis on plant ecology in the Society. He argues that it is the basis for rangeland management: as he has heard from ranchers, “we’re not raising beef, we’re raising grass.” He also likes that rangeland management is now incorporating such ideas from plant ecology as state and transition models. To Roger, the exchange of ideas—between people and groups—is extremely important, and one of the aspects of SRM he has found most valuable in his career. This goes hand in hand with the opportunity for continuing education through SRM, important because “learning doesn’t stop when we graduate [from] college”—we need to update our knowledge as the science changes. He says he appreciates being able to learn from other SRM members’ experiences, both successes and failures.

On that note, he advises that younger SRM members can get the most out of their membership by getting involved, especially by attending—and participating in—meetings at all levels. The URME, Range Cup, and Plant ID contests, among others, are great ways of making a student’s name known to potential employers. Plus, the meetings provide opportunities to gain exposure to current issues, and gain valuable knowledge from the older generations. He comments that the way SRM includes students in the Society through its undergraduate education, involvement, and mentoring emphases is unique among the societies of which he is a member.

Roger joked at the Idaho section business meeting, that a good deal of his success in planning the meeting was due to “good people.” After reiterating this point in his interview, he added, “First rate people hire first-rate people; second-rate people hire third-rate people: hire people who are better than you!”

Idaho Section Meeting

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern


The Idaho SRM Section’s 2010 winter meeting on November 10-12 featured several talented speakers at various symposia focused on “Alternative Management Strategies in Big Sagebrush Steppe: Perspectives, Opportunities, and Supporting Evidence.” The section co-hosting Spokane 2012 showed the 150 visitors to Idaho Falls a great learning experience and plenty of opportunity for Idaho section members to get to know each other and guest Aleta Rudeen, the national organization’s Director for Outreach and Leadership.

The meeting kicked off with the business meeting on Wednesday night. Karen Launchbaugh, a professor at the University of Idaho, talked about the new UI Rangeland Center. This program, the only one like it in the West, currently has a membership of 23 professors, agency workers, and other individuals interested in rangelands. It will focus on applied research and forming longterm relationships, as well as solidifying the importance of rangeland ecology and management through times of shifting values at the university. Meribeth Lomkin also took the spotlight as she received the Traveling Outhouse Award for the second year running (which was handy, since the outhouse had forgotten to travel to the meeting).

The Thursday and Friday seminars kicked off with “Sagebrush steppe ecosystems—musings of a long-term student,” followed by talks ranging in topic from “Understanding resistance to invasion and resilience to disturbance” to “Fire ecology of sagebrush systems: to burn or not to burn for wildlife habitat,” from “Remote sensing applications in the sagebrush steppe of Idaho” to “Inter-relationships of invasive and native plants and hydroclimate in sagebrush steppe: implications for management.” Needless to say, everyone’s understanding of the sagebrush ecosystem improved quite a bit during our time there.

Another highlight of the meeting was the student benefit silent auction, which featured fierce bidding for such items as a license plate clock, a juniper-stand lamp, canned produce, several books, and of course a number of gift baskets. Proceeds from this annual event go to the Brian Miller Scholarship fund and donations to other student groups. Winners were declared during the Friday lunchtime poster session.

I also had the opportunity to catch up with incoming section president Roger Blew, so be sure to keep posted for the next SRM Spotlight!

Overall, thanks to Idaho for a terrific experience. The meeting was a huge success with plenty of good fun, food, and friends to offset a great atmosphere for learning. We're well on track with planning for Spokane 2012... but first, I'll see you all in Billings!

SRM Spotlight: Rex Pieper, New Mexico Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

New Mexico State Professor Emeritus Rex Pieper has seen several positive changes in the Society for Range Management since joining in 1957. One of the biggest changes, he says, is the increased student involvement he sees at the university, section, and national levels. Students have always had a big role to play, and Rex says that this increase has also been important for recruiting new members and new ideas.

He should know. Rex himself joined SRM while a student at Utah State University, where he was working toward his Master’s degree in Range Management after receiving a B.S. in Wildlife Management at the University of Idaho. He later became a member of the California section while he worked toward his Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley, and finally joined the New Mexico section in 1963 when he accepted a position at New Mexico State University. While at his position with NMS, Rex spent his time teaching and conducting research at the Fort Stanton Experimental Range in the Sacramento Mountains. His research had a few different foci, including livestock grazing and diet work, and ecology work such as that in piñon-juniper woodlands.

Throughout his involvement with the New Mexico SRM section, Rex has worn several different hats, serving as the section President, the Scholarship Committee Chair, a National Advisory Committee member, and finally as the section Historian, the position he currently holds. When he was not involved in SRM activities, he often spent time traveling with his family. In recent years, however, he has taken up a new pastime: “When I retired they gave me a set of golf clubs,” he laughs, “so I’ve got to break those in."

Rex notes that one of the major changes to the range profession over the years has been a demographic shift in range students, an increasing number of whom are from urban backgrounds. He adds that the same goes for their professors. “When I was starting out,” he says, “most of us had rural backgrounds.” Rex himself, raised on an irrigated South Idaho farm, is from the traditional, rural stock. Yet he does not believe the change is all bad: although a range student, professor, or professional who was raised in an urban setting may have weaker ties to the land than one raised in close proximity to it, these urban-rooted range managers can bring fresh, new insight to the field. He also notes that population in the West is booming and major population shifts are occurring, with a movement toward subdividing ranches into smaller parcels and ranchettes. This gives the range management industry a broader prospective, drawing attention to such aspects as carbon sequestration and multiuse management practices. This broad face is a direct result of many people, from different backgrounds and viewpoints, taking an interest in the management of rangelands.

The Society for Range Management will be able to adapt to these changing demographics by integrating these different perspectives into our own understanding of range management. The trick is to adapt while maintaining SRM’s ties to the land and the ideals of its founders. One aspect of this involves sharing experiences in the field, especially at the local and section levels; this sharing and the associated transfer of knowledge, particularly from older to younger members, is an important part of SRM. The fact that the Society involves scientists, technicians, land managers, ranchers, and practitioners in this sharing process makes it unique. The future, then, is bright. However, he emphasizes that it is important for all members to stay involved. “Don’t assume that someone else will take care of it. We all have a role, we all have an interest.”

SRM Spotlight: Chuck Quimby, Colorado Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

For the busy professional, it can be difficult to maintain a high level of involvement in a society like SRM. Life member Chuck Quimby, Rangeland Program Manager for the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, can relate. This Colorado Section Member enjoys playing the bagpipes (although he declined to elaborate on his skill level), as well as hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation. He received his B.S. in rangeland management with a wildlife management minor from the University of Arizona, where he also earned his Master’s degree in watershed management. He has been with the Forest Service for 39 years since graduating, not including seasonal work and a brief stint with the NRCS. Chuck says that his job keeps him busy, which means that he has been able to hold “no real offices” in SRM serving on the editorial board for Rangelands magazine. Yet he has maintained an active membership since the late sixties, when he joined as a college student. He says he joined because SRM was the professional organization for rangeland management.

Chuck decided early to become a life member because of the importance of staying involved with such an organization, and has maintained his membership in the Society for the value of his interactions with other members and access to the Society’s journals.

The Society, Chuck says, is still meeting the needs of the workforce at least as well as when he joined. He cites Rangelands and Rangeland Ecology and Management as examples of these services which also enable the Society to reach a broader and richer audience. He adds that the sections are doing a good job of staying strong and keeping people informed.

Chuck adds that SRM has done a good job of keeping its focus fairly constant, with its emphases on science and on-the-ground application, since he joined—despite some important changes. The “biggest and best” change he has seen has been the outreach to other groups with an interest in rangelands, especially professional groups and the livestock industry. He explains that livestock grazing has recently come under attack in Western culture, and hopes that SRM will be to maintain the importance of livestock grazing on the rangelands of the West. Chuck also hopes that SRM will stay relevant—the “go-to leader” for rangeland management—as it begins to deal with new aspects of rangeland management in a changing culture. “Open spaces” and zoning have not had bearing on rangeland management in the past, he points out, but will play critical roles in the future as urban areas continue to encroach on the rangeland interface. He also notes the demographic change seen all over the workforce today: an aging workforce in both the Society and agencies: “I’ve been around for 39 years, but I’m not going to stay forever,” he says.

Chuck believes SRM should work more closely with universities and agencies to produce graduates qualified to work in a variety of fields. It’s not enough anymore, he says, to graduate with a range degree: a professional needs to be able to interact with fish, wildlife, and water, as well. The presence of older, retired members in the Society is also an important resource for younger members so long as they make use of the opportunity to gain the knowledge born of years of experience.

All that said, Chuck still most highly values how the SRM enables him to interact with “a lot of different professionals in a lot of different fields” and appreciates the training, education, and knowledge exchange it has to offer, as well as being able to keep abreast of the latest science through access to SRM’s journals. He hopes SRM will be able to stay alive, active, and relevant in the coming years, and more engaged in a changing Western America and a changing world. Many groups, he says, don’t like or don’t understand what range managers and SRM do, but he hopes our importance will be made apparent to those people who care about rangelands and even to those who don’t know what rangelands really are.

Chuck has two pieces of advice for younger members. The first concerns SRM involvement: Join, he says, and go to as many functions as you can; when you’re there, interact with other members. Take initiative, because your own interest will carry you the farthest. His second is broader: There is no dumb advice. He clarifies, “You can learn from anybody, anywhere; you just have to be able to put [their advice] in perspective and make it fit your situation.”

SRM Spotlight: Duane McCartney, Northern Great Plains and International Mountain Sections

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern

After more than 25 years in the Society for Range Management, Duane McCartney says the best advice he ever received was from a retired scientist in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, who simply told him, “SRM is a great organization and you should join it!” Duane took these words to heart and has been deeply involved with SRM ever since.

Duane is a retired research scientist with Agriculture Canada who enjoys canoeing, cross country skiing, landscape photography, and construction. A Forage Beef Management Systems Research Scientist, he points to his early life experiences in 4-H as the first step on his path to becoming an SRM member. He later attended the University of Guelph in southern Ontario and received a degree in Animal Science before coming to Agriculture Canada. There, he researched cost-saving methods for beef and forage production in West Canada, focusing on management systems in that area. It was during the same period, in Swift Current, that Duane’s mentor, an SRM member, advised him to join the organization. Duane followed this advice and even chartered the Saskatchewan SRM section after becoming a member, at a time when the province had only a handful of SRM members.

Since then, Duane has been heavily involved both as a member of the Nominations Committee and the Awards Committee, on which he has also served as Chair. His advice for younger members who want to get the most out of their membership echoes the same principles he has followed: “The big thing is to be involved.” He recommends that students join and actively participate in their university range clubs while in college, and later in the section associated with their post-graduation location. He adds that section committees are always looking for younger member involvement, which can lead to opportunities for early career members. Further, Duane advises that involvement in field days and local tours, with the chance to interact one-on-one with older members, is a great way to learn and critical to the transfer of knowledge to the next generation.

Throughout his 25 years of involvement, Duane has seen many changes in the demographics of the Society. Membership has fluctuated some, and the younger members, such as students, have taken a larger role. He notes that now the Society has “more ladies—that’s a big one.” There is also a greater emphasis on multiuse and less on ranching now than in the past, though the ranching aspect has made a comeback in recent years. Yet, he says, the main principles are still the same; with good leadership, the Society has been able to change with the times and without altering the things most important to its membership. SRM is, as always, an excellent venue for communication among professionals and researchers, a setting for employers and prospective employees to meet, and a Society which manages to include something for everyone at the national meetings. Duane places high value on the friends from all over the world that the Society has allowed him to make, and the chances to take tours of other ecosystems—“ones I wouldn’t see in Canada.”

The SRM of twenty-five years from now, Duane hopes, will be similar to that of today—a strong organization, and an important voice for range management involving a diversity of people. He sees a big role for SRM as the focus switches from managing rangelands for livestock to managing rangelands for multiuse, and the involvement of a broad spectrum of people as it seeks to meet society’s changing needs.

Texas Section Meeting

My first ever visit to Texas was indeed, a Texas experience and a great introduction to the Texas Section of SRM.  The TSSRM fall meeting, this year held October 13-15 in Odessa, TX, is similar to a mini version of the international SRM Annual Meeting, complete with a trade show and more than 200 registrants.  While in Odessa I experienced first-hand the famed Texas hospitality...  (despite my inability to two-step).  I thoroughly enjoyed the technical sessions, banquets, and field tour.

A very large portion of the TSSRM membership is made up of NRCS employees, which is unsurprising as Texas has large amounts of private relative to public land.  Also noteworthy is that the Texas section is by far the largest section of SRM with more than 500 members.  This makes for big meetings with an interesting focus.  Additionally the meeting hosted quite a few young professionals, who had several opportunities to attend career development sessions in conjunction with the meeting, and plant ID and photo contest.

The Thursday and Friday technical sessions kicked off with a welcome from the Mayor of Odessa, and focused on a diversity of topics.  These included: effects of woody plants on water balance, effects of rangeland recovery on stream flows, mechanisms driving vegetation change, herbicides, prescribed fire to improve diversity, the challenges to range improvements, and the management of salt cedar using herbicides and biological control.  Presenters brought a wide range of experience to the technical sessions, as well as on the tour Thursday afternoon.

The tour was, as always, a meeting highlight.  On Thursday afternoon we set out in four large, air conditioned buses from the hotel heading for the local Railway Ranch.  Stan Smith, the owner of the ranch greeted us and gave an overview of the area.  Ray Schimcek gave an overview of the ranch partnerships and Dr. Dan Womochel (pictured) spoke about area geology, but not before warning the us that giving a microphone to a retired Professor of Geology could be a dangerous thing to do.

The second stop on the tour focused on vegetation, forage, and treatment of creosote and tarbush, led by Dr. Allan McGinty, Preston Irwin, and Sam Schiwart.  At the third stop of the tour Guy Bell gave an overview of the treatment of African rue, and Jim Bob Simms spoke to us about pipeline safety.  Mark Moseley gave a talk titled Forage Estimation and Grazing Stick Demonstration, after which, he distributed grazing sticks to the group.  (I was disappointed, but fairly unsurprised to have my grazing stick confiscated in airport security the following day).

One of my favorite talks from the tour was titled Feng Shui for Wildlife, during which Dr. Dale Rollins shook things up with regards to vegetation management for wildlife.  Somehow, he managed to put nearly everything in terms of baseball and gave a creative, interesting talk.

All in all, the TSSRM meeting was a successful and interesting event  The banquet was fun and entertaining, I am pretty sure the auction made a killing off both its willing and unwilling bidders (and with some top notch items for sale), and people all seemed to know one another well, despite being the largest section of the Society.

Thank you to the Texas Section of SRM for their hospitality and the introduction to Texas!  Next year I'll do my best to bring some boots.

SRM Spotlight: Lynne Breese, Pacific Northwest Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern



Lynn (with Bonnie and Kippy) monitoring a prescribed range burn



For ranchers Lynne Breese and her husband John of Prineville, Oregon, membership in the Society for Range Management is about being part of a big family. “It’s like going to a family reunion,” she says of attending SRM functions. Members “don’t always agree, but we can learn from each other and we’ve become such good friends, we can work out problems together.” Since joining the organization in the early 90s, Lynne has certainly been involved in that family.

Lynne was raised in an agricultural setting, with a father who worked as a researcher at the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station in Ontario. She also participated in 4-H, an experience which would later lead her to a home economics degree and a career as an extension agent with Oregon State University.

Lynne joined SRM in the early 1990s, about the time she took a role in the full-time management of the ranch. She says that then as now, it was important to both her and her husband (who had joined a few years before) that SRM provided them a medium for meeting people with a variety of experiences on rangelands, and allowed them the opportunity to learn more about the things they wanted to do with the ranch.
John and Lynne’s ranch has been in the family for well over a century, since John’s great-grandfather homesteaded it in the late 1880s. She notes that in photos of the original homestead, there is a conspicuous lack of invasive junipers. Juniper control is thus an important part of the couple’s management. She relates how she and John often host student groups who come to “learn on the land,” by working on the ranch: “they help cut little junipers to eat,” she explains with a chuckle, noting that all parties seem to benefit from the exchange. The different activities these students engage in during their time on the ranch are important learning events for all participants, and Lynne believes such events to be one of the best ways for young members to learn from older ones. Especially in light of current workforce trends away from agricultural backgrounds, Lynne emphasizes that students need to “get out and get their hands and feet dirty” in order to learn. They need to work with those who live and work on the land in order to gain a practical knowledge of the field. “You don’t do that by sitting at a computer,” she adds, also noting that agencies and retirees are great resources to tap for gaining this sort of experience.

However, hosting student groups is just one example of the Breeses’ participation in SRM. Lynne has served as director of the Pacific Northwest Section and is currently a co-editor for the Pacific Northwest Section newsletter. John and Lynne also frequent various SRM events, from conventions to workshops. Lynne remarks that participation is crucial to the continued success of the organization, along with members’ willingness to talk and listen to each other. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she cites as the best advice she has ever received, “but do be willing to listen.”

Lynne’s vision for SRM involves an organization that “continues to do what we do.” She notes that the need for practical range management skills is not going to go away; if anything, it will only become greater. Society for Range Management members should thus be prepared to reach out to potential new members through agencies and personal invitations, with an ability to explain SRM’s relevance to all stakeholders—both those who manage the land and those who benefit from its successful management.

California Pacific and Pacific Northwest Joint Section Meeting

The CalPac and PNW sections of SRM hosted a phenomenal joint section meeting early October at Lava Beds National Monument near Tulelake, California.  We learned about area rangelands, fire ecology, and the geologic and anthropogenic history at the monument.  Presentations focused on pre- and post- European settlement ecological conditions, fire management in the national monument and fire history of the area, and on wildlife species, wildlife preserves, and biodiversity.

A personal highlight from the meeting included several spelunking expeditions in the lava tubes.  It took a sense of adventure to climb through the caves, one flashlight to every four or five people!

Another meeting highlight was a detailed narrative of the Modoc War during the winter of 1872 and 1873 at the monument.  Our guide, who was himself a Modoc descendant, took us on tour through the site of the Modoc War, giving a vivid account of the battles, its key players, and how it all fit into the striking Lava Beds landscape.

Also at the meeting, I had the opportunity to meeting with the Spokane 2012 Annual Meeting planning committee.  These folks are well on their way towards putting together a meeting that will blow your socks off.  That is, if you even have socks by the end of the Billings Annual Meeting this February 6-10, 2011 in Montana.  Don't forget to register ASAP to qualify for early registration rates.

In an nutshell, the CalPac/PNW joint fall meetings was one more example of SRM sections putting on a great meeting: good food, good people, good conversation all around.  Thanks to both sections for the hospitality!

(Well, mostly good people - these two are clearly up to some trouble!)

Introducing the new SRM Outreach Intern - Julia Workman

The Society for Range Management is pleased to introduce Julia Workman as the Outreach Intern for the Fall 2010 semester.  Julia is a sophomore at the University of Idaho, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management with a minor in Public Administration and Policy.  Julia will be conducting a short series of long-term SRM member interviews to post on the SRM Outreach blog as well as other outreach-related tasks as part of her Internship Program.

Julia is the President of the University of Idaho Range Club, where she has also served as Treasurer and a member of last year’s URME and Student Chapter Display teams.  On campus, she is involved with the Student Grant Program Committee and Honors Program.  When not directly engaged in any of the above activities, she enjoys country swing dancing, spending time with family and friends, baking, and working on the family farm/ranch in Grangeville, Idaho.  After receiving her B.S., Julia plans to attend law school before starting a career in natural resources- (especially water-) related law.

Welcome Julia!

Interesting Article from Time Magazine:

How to Save the Grasslands: Bring in More Cattle

Abstracts for Billings 2011

Don't forget!  The abstract submission deadline for the 2011 Annual Meeting in Billings, Montana is next week: September 1, 2010.  Visit the Billings meeting website to submit your abstract, become a sponsor, reserve an exhibitor booth, or find out more about Billings, Montana and the upcoming Annual Meeting this February 6-10, 2011.

Annual Meetings 2011 and 2012

Last week I had the chance to go on a site visit for the Spokane 2012 Annual Meeting.  The local planning committee is working hard to put together an engaging meeting, a top notch program, and a seriously good time.  The meeting will be held at the Spokane Convention Center: a visually stunning facility located in downtown Spokane.  We will be posting highlights for the 2012 meeting in a few months.  However right now it's time to start gearing up for the Billings 2011 Annual Meeting this February!

The SRM 64th Annual Meeting: Transcending Borders: Landscapes and Legends will take place in Billings, Montana this February 6-11, 2011.  The Billings Annual Meeting committee is planning a packed technical program, top notch career and networking opprotunities, a Trade Show designed to increase exposure, and much more.  Abstracts for oral and poster papers are due by September 1, 2010, and now is the time to register for a Trade Show booth to ensure the best booth location and selection.

I am looking forward to seeing you all in Billings this year and Spokane the next!

International Mountain Section Meeting

 
The International Mountain section meeting was held near Nanton, Alberta July 15-17.  Members and families came from both Alberta and Montana to attend an action-packed IMS section meeting.

We began with a thorough historical account of ranching in the area.  Following the Thursday evening barbecue, our speakers started off with when the continental plates collided and narrated through to the past three years.  It was fun to hear about the ice age, homesteading, and current issues and trends, all in one evening.

The Friday tour was loaded with site visits and interesting information.  We toured several oil well reclamation sites.  Local restoration projects are geared toward matching reclaimed lands with the surrounding landscape.  In particular, projects focus on planting rough and Idaho fescue near well sites and associated monitoring efforts.  We learned about innovative approaches to drilling as well, including padded well sites.

A highlight was the tour of the Waldron Grazing Cooperative Association, where small ranchers can buy shares to supplement their grazing operations.  The Co-op demonstrated their solar water pump and fescue seed harvesting equipment (click to watch clips of the seed harvester in action online: video 1 and video 2).  My personal favorite was the targeted grazing demonstration, where the Co-op is using sheep to graze leafy spurge.  Cattle will not graze leafy spurge, and sheep need to acquire a taste for the invasive plant - according to the ranch manager, the key to getting sheep to graze it, is to let them regulate themselves so they do not burn their throats.  Thus far they have been having good success with their targeted grazing efforts, are breeding the sheep for meat, and are saving $15,000 each year on spray costs!  In the words of the ranch manager, they have "turned spurge from a liability into an asset".

Other highlights included the Vandervalk's spectacular home cooking for each meal, and activities and prizes for the kids who accompanied the tour.

Thanks to the International Mountain Section for their hospitality and a great learning experience!

Pacific Northwest Section Meeting

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) section meeting was held in Kelowna, B.C., June 16-18, at the Lake Okanagan Resort.  The area is home to interesting rangelands, watersheds, user groups, and ecosystems as well as spectacular views, fruit and wine.  The tour had two engaging themes: Integrated Resource Use and Range Management and Range Management and Interface Issues.  Presenters represented a range of perspectives and fostered some great discussions.

During the tour we had the opportunity to learn about a local coordinated resource management effort, and presenters included representatives from diverse interests: grazing, community watersheds, recreation (off highway vehicles, OHVs), wildlife, and protected areas.  It was particularly interesting to listen to a variety of perspectives and presenters, all of whom talked freely about issues concerning resources, values, their area of expertise, and how they have been able to communicate with other parties involved.

This photo (above) was put up by the Okanagan Trail Riders Association as part of a large effort to reduce the effects of intensive recreation.  We also learned about the area watersheds, concerns for water quality and quantity, and local grazing practices and arrangements.

Another fun and informative exercise at the PNW meeting was to learn about the history and assessment of Bald Range.  We broke into small groups to get hands-on experience with monitoring and assessment, and compared monitoring notes.

During the final day of the PNW meeting, we toured a reservoir, learned about the Okanagan Mountain Fire and its impact on area rangelands, and hiked part of Myra Canyon over the reconstructed train trestles.

While at the PNW meeting, the committee for the 2012 Annual Meeting in Spokane met to work on planning for the 2012 meeting.  The Spokane group is working hard to put on a great program and give a new edge to the SRM Annual Meeting.  You won't want to miss it in 2012.

One of the clear tour highlights was the BBQ dinner, during which Ken Mather, Cowboy Poet and Author, 'enhanced our membership experience' with stories and poetry, and Rob Dinwoodie and Tim Ross impressed us all with their music - and especially their lyrics!

Stay tuned!  As always, there will be more to come.