2011 Summer Board Meeting

By Maggie Haseman, Outreach Intern

It’s mid-summer and we all know what that means: the summer Board meeting! I know you were probably thinking ice cream, but don’t worry there was a little of that too. The Board of Directors traveled to the Society for Range Management headquarters office in Wheat Ridge, Colorado to work through critical SRM operating items. They worked on the budget, discussed updates on projects and committee work and held a special Action Update Call. They also focused on membership member renewals, the website and SRM outreach material and upcoming Annual Meetings. The Board is heading home after two solid days of discussion.

During the Action Update Call

Now, we know that you know that we know that you know who is on the BOD but do you really know the BOD? Let’s find out. Here are a few snippets to get to know these individuals:

Dr. Stephanie Larson-Praplan, Director 2010-2012, California-Pacific Section

Stephanie was born in Vancouver, WA. She was raised on a sheep farm in Idaho, which is where her interest in rangelands began. Her mentors Jim Clausen and John Buckhouse guided her to join SRM. According to Stephanie, her colleagues are her favorite part of SRM membership. Get this, in her free time, Stephanie runs half-marathons! Her favorite books are those in The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein and interestingly her favorite ice cream flavor is licorice.

Keith Klement, Director 2010-2012, Wyoming Section
Keith was born in Muenster, TX. He was a student at Texas Tech on the Plant ID team when he decided to join SRM. In his opinion, the best thing about SRM is the chance to interact with diverse individuals who share an interest in rangelands. I bet you didn’t know that he grew up on a dairy farm. Keith’s favorite book is The Bible and he loves vanilla ice cream.

Jack Alexander, President, International Mountain Section
Jack was born in Nashville, TN. He joined SRM so that he could compete in the Undergraduate Rangeland Management Exam at the Annual Meeting. His favorite thing about SRM is the passion he sees that range professionals have for rangelands. Something you might not have known about Jack is that he has a collection of old motorcycles. His favorite book is 1,491 by Charles Mann and his favorite ice cream flavor is mocha almond fudge.

Dr. Val Jo Anderson, Director 2011-2013, Utah Section
Val was born in Ephraim, UT. He was a student when he joined SRM and continued to be involved in the plant ID team, undergraduate papers and the national conclave. He enjoys being a member of SRM because it serves as an outlet for management literature and he has the chance to network, meet and have discussions with experts who manage rangelands in similar ways. Something interesting about Val that you might not have known is that he has done range research on every continent except Antarctica. His favorite book is Roughing It by Mark Twain and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.

Wally Butler, Second Vice President, Idaho Section
Wally was born in Brigham City, UT. He got a bachelors degree in animal science and during the peak of the Vietnam War decided to continue his education and get a masters degree in range management. His major professor joined SRM in its second year (1950!) and encouraged all his students to join. Since joining, the things Wally has enjoyed most about SRM are the networking opportunities and the people he has met. Something you probably didn’t know about Wally is that he raises stock dogs and ships them all over the world. His favorite book is Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose and his favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.

Dr. Charles Hart, Director 2009-2011, Texas Section
Charlie was born in Lubbock, TX. He joined SRM as a student and has been a member ever since. His favorite thing about being a member of SRM is the camaraderie he finds in the people and the friends he has made. You might be surprised to learn that Charlie lived in New York for six years. His favorite book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and he enjoys mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Misty Hays, Director 2011-2013, Wyoming Section
Misty was born in Mission, South Dakota. When she was in college she attended her first Annual Meeting, which led her to join SRM. She loves the fact that through SRM she has a place to talk to her peers who share a common ground. Something you will find interesting about Misty is the fact that she has been involved in range management since she was five years old. She will read anything by Mary Higgins Clark and her favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate.

Gary Frasier, First Vice President, Colorado Section
Gary was born in Imperial, NE. When he was working in Phoenix, AZ a past president came in to talk to him, as he was leaving he handed Gary an SRM member application and told him to fill it out by the next day; that’s when Gary joined SRM. His favorite thing about SRM is the people. You will probably be shocked to find out the Gary has never received an education in range management. He loves to read all science fiction books and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.

Jess Peterson, Executive Vice President
Jess was born in Powell, WY. He joined SRM in order to have access to the scientific applications and get more information about rangeland management. What he enjoys most about SRM are the annual and section meetings and the enthusiasm they generate. You probably didn’t know that he runs cattle on two counties in Montana. His favorite book is John F. Kennedy on Leadership: The Lessons and Legacy of a President by John Barnes, and he loves chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Sandra Wyman, Director 2009-2011, Pacific Northwest Section
Sandy was born in Westby, WI. In college she was studying range management and was in the range club, which was affiliated with SRM, so she joined. Her favorite thing about being an SRM member is the networking opportunities and the exchange of science. You might be surprised to find out the Sandy grew up on a farm where they raised horses and tobacco. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and she enjoys eating chocolate flavored ice cream.

Have questions for the SRM Board of Directors? Comment here, email them individually, and get on the Action Update Call each month to ask them directly. They work for you.

Announcing the Launch of the Collaborative Conservation Learning Network

The Center for Collaborative Conservation at Colorado State University has just announced the launch of their web-based Collaborative Conservation Learning Network (CCLN). The purpose of the CCLN is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, innovations, tools and study results, and to foster connections among academics, practitioners and others, to help worldwide collaborative conservation efforts become effective and sustainable.

The CCLN includes a multi-media library for resources related to collaborative conservation, opportunity listings (including jobs, funding, trainings, conferences and workshops), collaborative conservation organizations and initiatives, discussion boards, a members’ directory with direct messaging, links to resources related to policy and law, blogs and podcasts.

They will be working hard to continually add new, useful information to the CCLN, but others are invited to contribute.

You can explore/join the Learning Network here: https://www.collaborativeconservation.org/learning-network

For more information please contact Jill Lackett: Jill.Lackett@colostate.edu

Outreach Internship with SRM, Summer 2011

Outreach Internship Announcement

Society for Range Management

EARN CASH AND COLLEGE CREDIT THIS SUMMER!

The Society for Range Management (SRM) is currently accepting applications for the summer 2011 Outreach Internship position.  Students are encouraged to apply for this exciting opportunity by April 15, 2011.  The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with outreach activities including networking, public speaking, communications, and field experience in Colorado’s rangelands.

60% paid ($7.50/hour), 40% unpaid for college credit

Summer 2011, tentative dates: May 23 – August 5, approx. 32-40 hours/week

Reports to: Director of Outreach and Leadership Development

Location: Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  Accommodation and travel arrangements are the sole responsibility of the successful candidate.

Description:

This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience with:

• Outreach 
• Public Relations
• Networking
• Event and Meeting Planning
• Non-Profit Organization
• Communication
• Rangeland Ecosystem Science and Management

SRM outreach efforts are an integral and important facet of the organization.  The Intern will work closely with the Director of Outreach and Leadership Development and will be involved in outreach efforts including:

• Communications and public relations
• Travel to area rangelands
• Development of marketing and outreach materials
• Social networking
• Blog updates
• Some public speaking
• Event planning
• Other administrative tasks as assigned
• Will have the opportunity for paid travel to one meeting in the United States with the Director of Outreach and Leadership Development

SRM will work with students enrolled in a university to receive course credit for the internship program.

Requirements:

• Basic education and knowledge of rangeland and natural resource ecology AND/OR public relations/marketing/outreach/event planning
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Applications, Outlook, and the Internet
• Able and willing to work outdoors, in remote locations, and on a variety of tasks
• Self-motivated
• Adaptable to a changing and fast-paced work environment
• Excellent customer service skills
• Comfortable working alone and in a team environment
• Positive attitude and sense of humor

Questions, contact Aleta Rudeen: 303-720-2715, arudeen@rangelands.org

To apply, please submit a cover letter, résumé, and three references to Aleta Rudeen, Director of Outreach and Leadership Development, by Friday, April 15, 2011:  arudeen@rangelands.org

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

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.

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…



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.

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!”

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.

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: 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.

Announcing the New SRM Internship Program - DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The Society for Range Management is pleased to announce the new SRM Internship Program. SRM is currently accepting Outreach Intern applications for the fall 2010 semester. Students are encouraged to apply for this exciting opportunity by September 10, 2010. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with outreach activities including networking, public speaking, communications, and more. Check out all the details below:

Fall semester 2010, tentative dates: September 20, 2010 – December 3, 2010, approx. 10-16 hours/week
Unpaid, for college credit, small educational stipend available
Reports to: Director of Outreach and Leadership Development

The Society for Range Management (SRM) is a non-profit professional society dedicated to supporting persons who work with rangelands and have a commitment to their sustainable use. It is headquartered in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Rangelands comprise almost one-half of all the lands in the world. They are extremely important to society for the goods and services they produce and for the ecological services they provide. SRM is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of rangelands for the benefit of current societies and for future generations.

Outreach Internship Description:

This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience with:

• Outreach
• Public Relations
• Networking
• Event and Meeting Planning
• Non-Profit Organization
• Communication
• Rangeland Ecosystem Science and Management

The SRM outreach efforts are an integral and important facet of the organization. The Intern will work closely with the Director of Outreach and Leadership Development. The successful candidate will focus on two primary projects: short biographies of rangeland professionals for the SRM Outreach Blog, and in the development of marketing and outreach materials for the Society. The Intern will be involved in outreach efforts including:

• Communications and public relations
• Development of marketing and outreach materials
• Social networking
• Blog updates
• Some public speaking
• Event planning
• Press releases
• Other administrative tasks as assigned
• Will have the opportunity for paid travel to one meeting in the United States with the Director of Outreach and Leadership Development

This position includes a small educational stipend. SRM will work with students enrolled in a university to receive course credit for the internship program. It is recommended that the successful candidate be able to commit 10-16 hours per week for 12-14 weeks (hours are flexible depending on availability). The program tentatively runs Monday September 20, 2010, through Friday, December 3, 2010 (subject to change based on academic schedule).

Requirements:

• Basic education and knowledge of rangeland and natural resource ecology AND/OR public relations/marketing/outreach/event planning
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Applications, Outlook, and the Internet
• Self-motivated
• Adaptable to a changing and fast-paced work environment
• Excellent customer service skills
• Comfortable working alone and in a team environment
• Positive attitude and sense of humor

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, three references, and short personal biography (less than 500 words) as a writing sample to Aleta Rudeen, Director of Outreach and Leadership Development, by Friday, September 10, 2010: arudeen@rangelands.org