Friday, January 28, 2011

New Member Coffee at the Billings Annual Meeting


 New Member Coffee

Monday, February 7, 2011
7:30am – 8:30am
Poolside Terrace, Holiday Inn Grand

YOU are invited to attend the New Member Coffee before the Plenary Session at the Billings Annual Meeting.  Coffee and pastries will be provided and the event is FREE of charge.  This is your opportunity to meet SRM leadership and find out about the structure of the Society, how to get involved, tips and tricks for networking, and how to maximize your membership.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Agenda

7:30   Welcome (Aleta Rudeen, Director of Outreach and Leadership Development and Jess Peterson, SRM Executive Vice President)

·         Coffee, introductions, sign-up sheet
·         Social media and SRM

7:40   Introduction to the Structure of SRM (Jeff Mosley, SRM President)
·         Board of Directors, section, committee and staff organization
·         Who does what and how to contact the right people for the right things

7:55   Navigating the Annual Meeting (Gary Frasier, SRM Second Vice President)
·         Organization of the meeting
·         Events to attend and how to maximize your time

8:05   Getting Involved and Getting the Most from your Membership (Jack Alexander, SRM First Vice President)

·         HOW to get involved in SRM, at the section or international level
·         WHO can get involved in which activities
·         Other ways to be an active member (committees, certifications, etc.)

8:20   Professional Development (Linda Coates-Markle, BLM-SRM Liaison)
·         How to use your membership to your advantage
·         Where to look for employment opportunities
·         How to maximize your networking at the meetings and beyond

8:30   Adjourn

Monday, January 24, 2011

Native Range Session at the 64th Annual Meeting in Billings, Montana

Guest post by Diana Doan-Crider



On February 10, 2011, the SRM will be hosting a special one-day Native Range Session during the 64th Annual Meeting in Billings, Montana, to discuss RANGE MANAGEMENT ON TRIBAL LANDS.

The United States Government holds 55.7 million acres of land in trust for Native Americans, of which much is considered to be rangeland.  Native vegetation on the rangelands provide habitat for native wildlife and livestock, and provide other resources needed for a high quality life for the Native Americans.  Dynamic and high quality management of rangelands is essential for the success of the Native American communities.  Successful management of the rangelands, which includes a wide variety of resources, must not be focused on a single objective but rather on achieving a wide variety of habitat objectives that best meet the social, cultural, economic, and physical needs of the tribe.

Rangeland management practices and needs vary on the numerous reservations, ranging from livestock that is owned by non-member individuals or corporations, or by individual tribal members and livestock cooperatives.  Range management programs also vary widely between tribes.  In some cases, the Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs (USDI-BIA), develops range management plans.  Some reservations, however, manage their own rangelands through the tribe’s Natural Resources Department.  It other cases, tribes receive assistance through liaisons appointed by the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS).
The Society for Range Management’s mission is to promote the professional development and continuing education of members and the public and the stewardship of rangeland resources.  The Native American Range Initiative involves partnerships with tribes and the various federal agencies involved in range management in order to achieve this mission.  Recognizing the numerous changes that have and are occurring in the management and use of the Native American rangelands, the Society is sponsoring this workshop to discuss the various challenges and needs for range management on tribal lands, training opportunities, and education of future tribal range managers.  This session offers the opportunity to see how the Society’s programs and broad membership might partner to help serve the needs of Native American rangeland communities, including the managers and those who depend on the rangelands.

We are inviting both tribal members and conference participants who are directly involved with range management on tribal lands to participate in this workshop.  The SRM conference DAILY registration fee of $80 has been sponsored for up to 25 tribal members for this session; there is no additional charge for regular conference participants.  A brainstorming period will follow, so we ask that participants attend for the entire duration of the session.  Attendance is limited; lunch is not included.  The workshop will be hosted from 8:00 am – 5:00  pm at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center – specific location will be announced on site.  For more information or to sign up, please contact Diana Doan-Crider at http://www.blogger.com/d-crider@tamu.edu, or call (830) 431-2770.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Tapping The Top - the Professional-Student Interaction Function

Guest post from the Billings Annual Meeting Committee

You are invited to:
Tapping The Top
Profesional-Student Interaction Function
Monday, February 7, 5:00-7:00pm
Billings Annual Meeting 

Tapping the Top (TTT) enters its 24th year in Billings, Montana. All students who are interested in a career in range management are encouraged to attend the Tapping The Top Student – Professional Function. TTT offers students the opportunity to visit with experienced range professionals about what it is like to have a career in range management. Students talk to professionals about what it is they do day to day in their job, what they enjoy most, and what they would have done differently in a casual atmosphere. It is a great opportunity to find out about the broad scope of jobs and regions to work in the range profession. You will get the scoop on what you want to do from someone who has been doing it for a few decades.

Professionals, if you want to share what you have learned with the students who will be filling your shoes as future range professionals please attend Tapping The Top. We appreciate your 20 plus years of great support. We invite all professionals with experience and enthusiasm to attend TTT and share it with these young professionals. This is your change to have an impact on the profession of range management.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Welcome to the Billings Annual Meeting from the Billings Planning Committee

TRANSCENDING BORDERS - LANDSCAPES AND LEGENDS


_________________________________________________________
Just wanted to remind everyone the 64th SRM Annual Meeting is fast approaching. This year’s meeting will be held in Billings, Montana February 6-11, 2011. The meeting promises to be both worthwhile and informative with talks on a wide array of subjects including Native History, Contrasting Lewis and Clark’s Trip Through the Great Plains with Present Day, Historical Changes in Rangeland Management, Birds, Bugs, Popular Notions and the Range. Visit the meeting website (www.rangelands.org/billings2011) to start planning your top priority sessions and events.

While at the meeting, make sure to attend the Producer’s Forum: The Art of Grazing Management on Tuesday, February 8th, as well as one of over 20 symposia focusing on such topics as Sustainable Ranch Management, The Ecology of Seedling Establishment, Expiring CRP: Alternative Management Systems, Rangeland Pollinators: Emerging Issues, and many more. A complete list of symposia can be found by clicking here.

In addition to the many great talks there will be technical tours to the Pryor Mountain Horse Range, Pompey’s Pillar and the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

The Billings Annual Meeting will provide numerous opportunities for attendees to “Transcend Borders” by developing and strengthening working relationships with other SRM members and individuals and organizations that share a passion for the world’s rangelands.

If all that isn’t enough to get you excited for the meeting, then come “Catch the Beaver Fever” and cut a rug to Bucky Beaver and the Ground Grippers at the dance on Tuesday night, February 8th. Still not enough… come dine on some fine Montana home grown cuisine during the Wednesday night Eventing in Montana non-banquet, while being entertained (and trust me you will be entertained) by Montana’s own Ringling 5!  For a complete list of special events, click here.

While it may be cold outside, we promise you’ll be too entertained and informed inside to notice…


Friday, January 14, 2011

Upcoming Symposium: Breaking the Current Fire Cycle, February 1-2, 2011

Guest post by Neil Rimbey, Idaho Section

Burning Rangeland
The Boise District BLM Resource Advisory Council, the Society for Range Management, the Agricultural Research Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and others are sponsoring a Symposium on February 1-2, 2011 in Boise, Idaho. “How Can Resource Management Break the Current Fire Cycle?” is designed to identify fire, fuel and vegetation management methods appropriate for conserving high value and degraded Wyoming Sagebrush steppe habitats by reducing fire frequency. The session will be highlighted by the Keynote Address by Dr. Jim Young, author of the recent book, Cheatgrass: Fire and Forage on the Range. Jim will summarize over 40 years of research on the ecology, management and control of cheatgrass. This background information will set the stage for jumping into 5 key questions:
  1. Given the opportunity to develop major, strategic fire breaks, what kinds of fuel breaks would be effective and affordable to create, maintain and persist?
  2. What other kinds of fuel breaks and tools can be used most effectively in areas with frequent wildfires and areas which still maintain Wyoming sagebrush stands?
  3. In light of listings of threatened or endangered species in the sagebrush steppe system, is a fuel reduction program feasible and what suitability criteria, mitigation and administrative procedures will allow for its establishment?
  4. How can various fuel reduction tools be coordinated across land ownerships to facilitate the next step of rangeland rehabilitation?
  5. What monitoring and management protocols can be established to ensure that we achieve short-, intermediate- and long-term goals associated with fuel management, decreasing fire frequency and rangeland rehabilitation?
These questions will be explored by panels of experts and practitioners associated with each area. They will involve active audience participation through questions and dialog.

The session will be held at the Washington Group International Conference facility (800 Park Blvd.) in the heart of downtown Boise. More information is available via the following website:
http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/res/resource_advisory/boise/boise_district_rac.html

Additional questions? Contact Neil Rimbey (208-454-6566 or nrimbey@uidaho.edu), or Ted Hoffman (208-587-6374 or brokeno@mindspring.com )

Fire

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

SRM Spotlight Synopsis: Final Report by SRM Outreach Intern, Julia Workman

Serving as Society for Range Management’s first Outreach Intern this semester has been an amazing learning experience. My first goal for the Internship was to glean personal insight from SRM members and make this information available through posts on the SRM blog. My duties taught me to present information in a manner that would appeal to a wide audience, with varied backgrounds but a common interest. Along with this, I had the opportunity to travel to Grand Junction for the Colorado Section fall meeting, and to share what I have learned in the interviewing process. My second goal was to establish relationships and gain experience interacting with the diverse group of professionals involved in SRM. This was achieved through communication with the members I interviewed and various other members with whom I interacted. My time at the Colorado Section meeting allowed me to meet with with experienced members on a personal level while carrying out my internship duties. The insights gained from these experiences will be valuable as I go forth and attempt to achieve my own career ambitions.

To gather the information from SRM members, I conducted ten interviews with members representing eleven different sections (Pacific Northwest, California-Pacific, Idaho, International Mountain, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Northern Great Plains, South Dakota, Texas, and Florida). Nine of these interviews were conducted by telephone, and the remaining interview in person at the Idaho Section fall meeting. Interviewees represented a broad range of professions in the field of rangeland management: two ranchers, three researchers (including one professor emeritus), three government agency-employed resource managers (two with the federal government and one with a state), one private contractor, and one botanist. Most came from rural backgrounds related to rangelands or agriculture, but each had followed a unique career path, and all had played very different roles in SRM. Despite the diversity of individuals I interviewed, there was an overall trend of similar answers and common themes throughout the interviews.

One of the first questions I asked each member was why he or she had joined SRM. Three joined in college, and seven during their professional careers. Their reasons for joining included the information offered, the professional development opportunities, employer or agency encouragement, or a combination of the three. They were then asked, based on their experiences, what SRM can do to attract and retain members. Their answer: Stay relevant! Be more engaged with the public, and more visible. Make apparent exactly what SRM is doing in rangeland management. Another suggestion was that the Society needs to attract students, then keep track of them as they move into the workforce by maintaining personal contact. Attracting individuals at the local level and through agencies is also going to play a big role—again, through personal contact. Another important aspect, which was emphasized again and again by member after member, is outreach. Rangeland management is broadening in its scope, and the spectrum of people the Society is trying to reach should broaden as a reflection of that.

One focus of my interviews was on the changes that are occurring in SRM and the workforce. The members with whom I spoke said that the main principles of SRM have remained the same, which is very important to them. But they also talked about some positive changes, like increased involvement from younger generations and the large student presence in the Society right now. It was great to hear these longtime members talking about how the younger generation is bringing new ideas and a new energy to the profession! From a logistical standpoint, interviewees felt that it is also really important that younger members be able to fill the gaps in the workforce left by retiring members, especially the members of the “Baby Boomer” generation.

Another important theme mentioned with respect to SRM’s recent changes was the way the Society is reaching out to other groups. One example cited was the producer forums which were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver last year. Two interviewees felt that SRM has distanced itself from livestock production groups in the last several years and are really pleased with the reverse in that trend. Another long-term member was pleased with the way the Society is embracing ecology. He pointed to the journal change to Rangeland Ecology and Management as evidence of that; another great example of the Society’s emphasis on ecology is the Ecological Site Description workshops with which SRM is currently involved. This means the Society is reaching out in a lot of different directions and satisfying people with very different interests. One of the most important groups to reach out to is the general public. Rangeland managers are increasingly seeing the need to be aware of society’s opinions and deal with them. As management for broader interests, like open space, becomes more prevalent, it is becoming increasingly important to embrace nontraditional areas like policy and human dimensions—because these aspects are now intrinsically intertwined with rangeland management.

Another big change in SRM is an increased emphasis on using technology, both old and new. The Internet, for example, can be a major tool in facilitating everything from communication to research. Information can be found with an ease never possible before, through resources ranging from online journals to programs like Google Earth that offer a big view and great resolution. As we manage on a broader scale, it is important to let land managers see their parcel in the context of the bigger landscape.

I also asked interviewees what SRM can do to better serve its members. One important service, they said, involves continuing to provide lines of communication between agencies, landowners, land managers, and environmental groups, while providing a safe venue for discussion between said groups.

It is also very important right now, as many members are retiring and many others joining the workforce for the first time, that knowledge be passed between generations. It is therefore going to be critical to retain members after they retire in order to retain that institutional knowledge for the sake of the profession. One of the most important places for mentoring to occur between generations is at local field days and tours, where the younger members can get their hands dirty and gain real field experience, in a one-on-one scenario. However, Annual Meeting mixers also play an important role in opening channels of communication and fostering relationships.

What these members value about SRM (what it is doing well) was another question posed in these interviews. A few mentioned the journals and continuing education, but every single interviewee emphasized the networking and personal connections they have gained through SRM, and how valuable and irreplaceable those have been.

As for where the Society is headed, half of the members interviewed said that down the road, they want SRM to still be alive. These members want to see the Society still active, relevant, and viable—“continuing to do what we do, respectably.” They would like to see SRM continue to be a voice for rangeland management and for rangelands themselves: it is unique among professional societies in that it speaks for the resource. They said SRM needs to be looking at broader issues as the profession broadens. It needs to continue to diversify its membership, while maintaining its founding ideals. These members want to see the dissimilar groups involved in rangeland management working together toward common goals, because in diversity there is strength.

The overall consensus through these interviews was that the Society is doing very well. All the people with whom I spoke were positive about where SRM is now and where it is headed—at least, in the words of one, “there’s always room for improvement, but it’s not necessarily a poor job.”

As for me, through this experience I gained a much better appreciation for some of the history of SRM and some of the changes the Society has seen in the past few years. It was fascinating to get to know members who have played huge roles in their respective sections and states, within and outside of SRM. The different perspectives these members have, the changes they have seen, and the directions we are taking, say a lot about where we stand as a Society. I find it reassuring that they were for the most part pleased with where we stand. However, it was educational to hear about some of the issues SRM has been facing. New members like me sometimes do not always hear a balanced report involving the negative aspects of a group or the difficulties it is facing.

I believe that I have personally grown in this experience by overcoming a great deal of shyness in talking to strangers over the telephone. By having to do so, on a weekly basis, I have become much more comfortable with introducing myself and conducting business in a professional but relaxed manner. Correspondingly, this development has also helped me in dealing with people face-to-face. It was more natural for me to strike up conversations with total strangers at the Colorado Section meeting, and to ask questions. This is a professional skill that many of the individuals interviewed told me will be important in my career, and I believe that this Internship has been very influential in helping me develop it.

Written communication has also been an important part of this experience. It was my primary means of interaction with others during the Internship, and this required a honing of my writing skills to develop the proper tone in correspondence via email, and in posting of blog updates. The blogging necessitated that I learn to transcribe what members said over the phone into informative and interesting posts that would not offend, mislead, or misrepresent. Representing a professional Society in such a fashion, I learned to pay close attention to the tone and message presented by each phrase and comment to avoid misrepresentation of the individuals and the organization. It was a valuable experience and allowed for a better understanding of the “politics” that such a position means.

Overall, I have had a wonderful semester and would like to thank SRM and its members for the opportunity to take part in this Internship. I believe that the Internship is a great opportunity and hope to see more involvement from both students and members as the program continues to grow.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

SRM Spotlight: Marilyn Samuel, Florida Section

By Julia Workman, SRM Outreach Intern



Marilyn Samuel of the Florida Section has a unique claim to fame: she was the first woman elected to SRM’s Board of Directors, in 1987. A retired botanist, Marilyn has seen SRM and rangeland management come a long way since the days when she was often mistaken for “someone’s wife” at Society events.

Marilyn grew up in California and in high school moved to Wyoming, where she graduated from Cheyenne High School. She then attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie for her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and her Master’s in Botany. She spent some time after graduation at the High Plains Grasslands Research Station breeding strawberries and tomatoes and doing other botanical work. In 1974, she says, she “fell into” a new direction more suited to her degree when the Field Station changed its mission to focus on grasslands research. Marilyn took a few plant identification classes to learn the native species and began her career in rangelands. Before long, she was monitoring plant responses to animal grazing with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Joining SRM, Marilyn says, “was the thing to do after I joined range research.” When she did so, around 1975, she was one of few woman professionals at the meetings, although there were quite a few female students. After getting involved in publicity for the 1979 Annual Meeting in Casper, Wyoming, she says, “things seemed to snowball along.” She was also involved with publicity for the 1986 Annual Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and served as the Chair of the SRM Information and Education Committee.

Marilyn attributes her election to the parent Society Board of Directors to name recognition. In her role with publicity, she says, she was “in everyone’s face for awhile,” plus known for being one of the few professional women in the Society. After being defeated once, she ran again for the Board with her supervisor’s support (“The upper level told me, ‘You will run again,’” she laughs). This time, she was elected to a role that she enjoyed very much. Marilyn says it was a lot of work and a lot of reading, but it was rewarding to be involved in making big decisions for SRM.

Marilyn is now retired and resides in Florida, where she serves as the Florida Section Newsletter Editor and Section Webmaster. She has some interesting insights on how rangeland management has changed since the seventies. Marilyn says that women have been acknowledged for what they can bring to SRM. She references the way she finally “divorced herself from her boss” at professional meetings so people would stop assuming that the two were a married couple.

As women became bigger players in the Society, Marilyn recalls, there was an emphasis on programs specifically for the ladies. Eventually, men were incorporated into these so that there is no longer the male versus female setup. Men and women still have different needs, she acknowledges, but programs are now geared toward being applicable to both sexes.

Marilyn says the best thing about the Society for her career was that it gave her the ability to make connections with researchers whose work she had read. That ability to talk to them and even grow close to some was all a part of the Society’s close-knit, family feeling.

Marilyn believes that SRM will continue to grow by maintaining its diversity and catering to diverse interests. She also advises young members to get involved by volunteering for committees “at whatever level they’re comfortable,” whether the chapter, section, or parent Society level.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year from SRM

Happy New Year from the Society for Range Management! Wondering how to get involved in 2011? Here are some helpful hints from the Society:
  • Join a committee. Working on an SRM Committee is one of the best ways to get involved in the Society and an excellent way to get in touch with the people who share your interests. Visit the committee webpage for a committee list, including points of contact for each.
  • Attend the 64th Annual Meeting in Billings, MT, February 5-11, 2011: Transcending Borders: Landscapes and Legends. Register now – online registration closes January 23.
    • The New Member Coffee will be held Monday, February 7 at 7:30am. This is a FREE event for all new (and returning) members to learn about the structure and organization of SRM, hear tips for navigating the Annual Meeting, and learn about how to get involved in the Society. Coffee and pastries will be provided and all new members will receive a FREE one year online subscription to Rangelands.
    • The JOB Fair, held Sunday, February 6 from 10:00am – 6:00pm will be the place to be for those exploring career options or thinking about the next step. JOB Fair booths are FREE and employers should submit a registration form no later than January 14, 2011.
    • Check out An Evening in Montana while at the meeting for local food, flare, and entertainment. The event will take place Wednesday, February 9, at 7:00pm.
    • Attend networking events, such as Tapping the Top Mixer, and Agency and University Socials.
    • Visit the Trade Show to see the latest and greatest in rangelands today.
    • And much more! Check out the Annual Meeting Pre-Convention Trailboss to start planning your week in Billings.
  • Renew your membership using the new cafeteria-style dues structure. Base rates are now $70 regular, $25 student and international, with additional charges for online and printed subscriptions to journals. For a full explanation of the new dues structure, click here.
    • Did you know SRM has an apprentice membership category? A special $50 apprenticeship rate is available for the first five years after graduation to former student members. All you have to do is renew your membership before it lapses, and you are eligible for the reduced apprentice membership rate.
  • Attend the International Rangeland Congress meeting in Rosario, Argentina, held April 2 – 8, 2011.  Diverse Rangelands for a Sustainable Society.
  • Become a fan of SRM on Facebook and receive pertinent updates right to your newsfeed.
  • Attend your local Section meetings and tours. SRM Sections are the best place to start networking and take your membership to a new level. Section events (as well as other events of interest) are updated regularly on the SRM webpage as well as on the Section websites.
  • Get on the Action Update Call each month to hear from SRM leadership and staff and make your voice heard. The Action Update Call takes place the second Thursday of every month at 11:00am MST. Dial-in number: 1-213-416-6650, Access Code: 012010#.
  • Get certified! SRM offers two certification programs: Certified Professional in Range Management and Certified Range Management Consultant Program.
Have a productive, fun, and engaging 2011, and we will see you in Billings this February!