WDC9: Sustainable Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
WDC9: Sustainable Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship
Duration: 10/01/2006 to 09/30/2008
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Rangelands are the most extensive land type in the United States. While concentration of the human population remains sparse on most of these lands, our urban population depends on these lands for a variety of goods, services and values including clean water, sequestered carbon, minerals, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, open space and beautiful landscapes. Consequently, urban and rural communities are dependent on the long-term sustainability of these lands. Properly managed, rangelands can provide these goods, services and values but the owners and managers of these lands must learn new practices and approaches to sustaining the productive capacity of these lands.
In March of 2004, the Extension and Experiment Station Directors identified watershed and water quality issues as one of the most important three issues in the West. This issue includes rural and urban audiences, private landowners and public land managers, as well as conservation groups and the general public. It includes both public and private lands. To be successful it is imperative that water issues be addressed from a system or landscape perspective.
For the past decade Extension education programs in California, Oregon, Montana, Colorado and other states have been helping rangeland owners and managers learn about new practices and approaches to rangeland management that protect watersheds, water quality, habitat and biodiversity while supporting economic enterprises. Science-based Extension education programs for owners and managers of public and private rangelands are the basis for reducing conflicts between land managers, environmental groups and regulatory agencies.
This project proposes to apply traditional and new educational delivery methods to help rangeland owners and managers to voluntarily change practices. It provides a science-based curriculum that will be delivered in both the traditional workshop/classroom setting and also electronically through the eXtension project. Completion of these education programs will result in certification of landowners or managers as Good Land Stewards who are better prepared to participate in USDA programs such as EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) and CSP (Conservation Security Program). While educating rangeland owners and managers, this project will also result in public education using roadside stops, self-guided tours, educational tours and events, and media coverage to highlight good stewardship. A monitoring component will document the effectiveness of new practices and identify research needs.
To implement this educational program west-wide, Extension educators from Montana, Oregon, California, Colorado and other Western states will develop a unified but flexible curriculum that emphasizes watershed management and water quality protection while also addressing the needs of rural and urban communities, fish and wildlife habitat, biodiversity and other conservation issues in the west. This project provides the opportunity to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of rangeland and watershed education by incorporating the important components of these successful educational programs into one project that can be expanded throughout the Western states and nationwide.