Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The meeting convened at 8:30 am in Reno, Nevada.  State reports were presented from Wyoming, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Idaho, working through a lunch at 12 noon.

The University of Nevada, Reno, has Developed a University Center for Economic Development technical publication using FLIP-SIM with the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M to estimate impacts on economic success and financial viability to a representative Northeastern Nevada ranch from alternative sage grouse habitat programs. A Humboldt County input-output model which included University of Nevada Cooperative Extension agricultural budgets for range cattle and alfalfa hay operations was developed. This procedure adjusts the Use and Make tables of input-output models derived through the microcomputer IMPLAN model. The initial statistical analysis was completed to estimate factors which influence adoption of the trichonomiasis vaccine by Nevada range cattle producers.

At the University of California Berkeley, an NSF-funded project (CHNS) on “sustaining wetlands in a working landscape” is entering its final year. The project analyzes the benefits of agriculture to wildlife and ecosystems. Led by Steve Beissinger, an ornithologist, project leaders include a hydrologist, an epidemiologist and Lynn Huntsinger. The research examines the interactions among rare birds (California black rail), ranch production, mosquitos, and West Nile Virus in the Sierran Foothills. Within the bird’s range in Yuba and Nevada counties, a mail survey of landowners with 3 acres or more foothill rangeland has been completed with a greater than 55% return rate. The survey asks about water use motivations and practices, water sources, impacts of water price (discrete choice), and the cost of incentivizing creating wetlands for a rare bird. The bird’ habitat is largely leaks and tailwater from irrigated pasture systems on rangelands. http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1115069. The data from a statewide survey of forest and rangeland landowners conducted in 2008 was re-analyzed to look at what factors correlate with ecosystem service production for the landowner and for society. This will be published in the Rangelands special issue for the 2015 Annual Meeting. The search for an Extension Research Specialist in Range Planning and Policy will begin in the fall at Berkeley. UC Davis will be conducting a search for a rangeland management specialist as well beginning in Spring 2015. The searches are coordinated.

The team at UC Davis, lead by Leslie Roche and Ken Tate, has developed a multipronged approach to directly integrate management and science in addressing the challenges of providing for multiple and diverse outcomes on working rangelands, and to gain insights into decision-making and adaptation on rangelands. The work includes 1) surveys of over 500 California ranchers from the CA Cattlemen’s mailing list

(http://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/main/projects/ranchersurvey.html); 2) semi-structured interviews of over 100 California ranchers, with follow-up field surveys on 30 ranches to measure on-the-ground outcomes of rangeland management and conservation practices (http://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/main/CRSP.html); and 3) a long-term, stakeholder prescribed adaptive grazing strategy study. A new grant, funded by the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on “Managing

California Rangelands for Multiple Ecosystem Services: Understanding Tradeoffs among Production and Conservation-Based Goals” came through very recently. Led by Tate, Davis and Berkeley researchers are participating.

 At New Mexico State University, an analysis of the ranch-level economic impacts of management alternatives relating to Greater sage-grouse in the West has been completed. The resulting bulliten was published by University of Wyoming Extension, and includes ranch-level models and analysis for Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Wyoming. Neil Rimbey is working with researchers at NMSU to publish a private grazing lease study from Idaho Department of Lands (the funding agency). The phone survey was conducted in 2011-12 of Idaho lessees and lessors of private grazing resources.  New Mexico participated in a regional effort to write science guides about various public land management issues. Thirteen guides are proposed and are at various stages of completion. The effort is coordinated by Karen Launchbaugh, Rangeland Center Director at the University of Idaho. Additional science guides are in progress. A project has been recently started with Joel Brown with JER to develop a procedure and explore whether State-and-Transition models (STM) and Ecological Sites can be used to economically value ecosystem services.

Data for WERA is being complied, including the updated CattleFax weekly beef price series by state.  The development of a Livestock budget generator spreadsheet is underway with plans that the spreadsheet will generate ranch budgets conforming to AAEA (2000) Cost and Return Estimates Guidelines, including:

• Stock count and forage balance chart
• Logic functions to minimize hardwired numbers
• Will initially work with Neil Rimbey and others at the University of Idaho to adapt and structure for Northern Climates           

At the University of Wyoming, work continues on the Grouse 9 Plan Amendment. The project is in support of BLM and Forest Service Sage-Grouse planning efforts in Wyoming. It involves an economic impact analysis of five potential Sage-Grouse management alternatives for amendments to six BLM RMPs and three Forest Service LMPs in Wyoming. BLM Field Offices considered in the analysis included: Casper, Kemmerer, Newcastle, Pinedale, Rawlins, and Rock Springs. Forest Service units considered in the analysis include: Bridger-Teton National Forest, Medicine Bow National Forest and the Thunder Basin National Grasslands. Commodities considered in the analysis included: Oil & Gas Well Drilling, Oil & Gas Production, Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, Wind Development, Wind Generation, and Recreation.  The analysis considered both regional and statewide economic impacts for each unit.

Work is also underway on the  Socioeconomic Analysis for Sage-Grouse Planning in the Western United States project. It is in support of BLM and Forest Service Sage-Grouse planning efforts in the Western United States. It involves economic impact analysis for five sub-regions. The Northwest Colorado analysis considered 8 counties as the primary study area and 5 counties as the secondary study area. Commodities included in the analysis were: Oil & Gas Well Drilling, Oil & Gas Production, Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, and Recreation. This information will be used to assist in planning for amendments to 5 BLM RMPs and 1 Forest Service LMP in Northwest Colorado.

The analysis in  Nevada and Northeast California, the analysis included 10 counties in Nevada and 2 counties in California as the primary study area. There was no secondary study area for this analysis. Commodities included in the analysis were: Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Oil and Gas Production, Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, and Geothermal. This information is to be used to assist in planning for amendments to 10 BLM RMPs and 2 Forest Service LMPs. The Idaho and Southwest Montana analysis included 27 counties in Idaho and 2 counties in Montana as the primary study area and 4 counties in Idaho and 2 counties in Montana as the secondary study area. Commodities included in the analysis were: Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, and Recreation. This information is to be used to assist in planning for amendments to 13 BLM RMPs and 7 Forest Service LMPs.

The Oregon analysis included 7 counties as the primary study area and 1 county as the secondary study area. Commodities included in the analysis were: Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, Wind Development, and Wind Generation. This information is to be used to assist in planning for amendments to 10 BLM RMPs. The Utah analysis included 22 counties as the primary study area and 5 counties as the secondary study area. Commodities included in the analysis were: Oil & Gas Well Drilling, Oil & Gas Production, Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, Wind Development, and Wind Generation. This information is to be used to assist in planning for amendments to 13 BLM RMPs and 6 Forest Service LMPs.

In support of the BLM’s planning effort for the Rock Springs RMP, an economic impact analysis of potential management alternatives on a five-county region in Southwest Wyoming has been undertaken.  Commodities to be considered in the analysis include: Oil & Gas Well Drilling, Oil & Gas Production, Cattle Grazing, Sheep Grazing, Coal, Trona, Recreation, and possibly Wind Development and Generation. This project is unique in that both an IMPLAN and REMI analysis will be conducted and the results compared.  This project is on hold pending the completion of the Sage-Grouse Amendments EIS for the Rock Springs Field Office.

For the U.S. Forest Service’s planning efforts for the Shoshone National Forest an economic impact analysis of six management alternatives on a three-county region in Northwest Wyoming.  Commodities considered in the analysis included: General Recreation, Commercial Recreation, Timber, Cattle Grazing, and the Shoshone National Forest Budget. This was an update to a previous analysis conducted for the Forest in 2007.  After 10 years, two presidential administrations, and 75 public meetings the forest plan is nearing completion.

Wyoming is engaged in a collaborative effort between the WCCA, the University of Wyoming, the State of Wyoming, and Federal Management agencies to develop socioeconomic profiles for individual counties in Wyoming that will accurately reflect each county’s, physical resources, socioeconomic profile, and the preferences and values of it residents. The purpose of the project would be to: 1) Develop a database to assist counties in their own planning efforts and 2) where applicable, the database could also be used to provide both core and supplemental data for federal planning efforts as part of the Affected Environment analysis.  The project will have three components including: 1) GIS mapping of physical resources, 2) Socioeconomic profile, and 3) Survey of residents to determine preferences and values.  The participating counties would have the option of choosing among the three components.

In a related project Nevada is working collaboratively with the BLM on a two part project.  The first part of the project involves utilizing local data to develop a baseline socioeconomic database and monitoring procedures for an area economy experiencing a boom at the Field Office level.  This part of the project will be conducted in Wyoming for the BLM’s Casper Field Office with a focus on Converse County where over 5,000 oil wells are projected to be drilled over the next few years.  The second part of the project involves utilizing the Economic Profile System – Human Dimensions Toolkit and the EPA’s EJview website to develop a baseline socioeconomic report for stable area economy at the district level.  The study area for this part of the project will be for Arizona BLM’s Colorado River District.

Other projects currently being undertaken in Wyoming include an economic Impact of the coal industry in Wyoming,  the economic impact of range sheep production in Uinta County, Wyoming,  a project for Wyoming state parks and trails, support for the Concise Guide to Wyoming Coal, 2014, updating of economic models for ranching and sage grouse in Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming and evaluation of the economic effects of allotment reductions on BLM lands, and finally the human footprint of wind energy development is incorporating economic, ecological, and social databases and impact models in a GIS framework, with funding from Wyoming BLM.

A survey of public land ranchers to better characterize their social and economic characteristics and to assess how they may respond to land management agency policy changes is underway. This will be supplemented with a survey to quantify ecosystem services supplied by these public land ranchers and to assess how they may be changing their management to produce more of less of these services. This project is funded by the Public Lands Council Trust Fund, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. A companion survey on ecosystem services will compare the Great Basin, Desert Southwest, and Southern Rocky Mountain regions and is funded by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.  A third survey will be just for Wyoming addressing questions of concern to the state and is funded by a coalition of livestock organizations and county governments in the state.

The Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable co-sponsored a workshop on “Future directions of usable science for rangeland sustainability” with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the Arizona State University Center for Science and Policy Outcomes Center.  Scientists, agencies, landowners, and non-governmental organization representatives were invited to participate. The outcome will be a report and outreach to funding agencies.

Idaho reported the completion of an analysis of the ranch-level economic impacts of management alternatives relating to Greater sage-grouse in the West.  Bulletin published by University of Wyoming Extension, includes ranch-level models and analysis for Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Wyoming.  It is available on-line via Wyoming Extension and W. Rural Development Center  (http://www.wyoextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1258.pdf).  Approval was finally obtained to publish private grazing lease study from Idaho Department of Lands (the funding agency).  A phone survey was conducted in 2011-12 of Idaho lessees and lessors of private grazing resources.  The manuscript went through peer review process and is in the editor’s hands.  Bulletin is tentatively published in August, 2014 via University of Idaho Ag. Experiment Station. Researchers worked with folks from around the west on economic analysis techniques appropriate for public land issue resulting in an on-line, open access journal via the Owyhee Initiative.  http://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/article/view/13.

Rimbey served as co-chair of a Resource Advisory Council (BLM) subcommittee for the Gateway West Utility Line Project. The task was to recommend how to get utility lines through southwestern Idaho.  We completed our report and submitted it to the BLM in June.  BLM will take that information and proceed with NEPA analysis before approving or modifying the routes recommended by the subcommittee. The Owyhee County Commission funded a study to update social and economic analysis conducted in 2002.  The first phase of the project was completed in August. 

John Tanaka  provided an update on the public land rancher survey update and opportunities arising from the Sustainable Rangeland Roundtable.

Allen Torrell gave an update on the GAMS model cattle price series and update on the Allan’s Excel-based Ranch Budget Generator.

Presentation and discussion of issues interest by Julie Pierce of the BLM. The group discussed how planning documents in BLM are marginalizing local economic impacts of ranching. The group discussed a possible peer-reviewed article addressing the issue.  There was also a discussion of the impact of grazing on cheatgrass dominated range, and a discussion of the economics of eradication and control of PJ.

A session to discuss the future on ”Where to go From Here” was convened.

• Foulke will investigate the possibility of doing a break out session at the WRSA (Western Regional Science Association) meeting in February 2016.
• Since our next meeting is in September, 2015, we can use that venue to preview papers we plan to submit to WRSA (due Oct. 2015). The timing fits well. Foulke will find out the location of that meeting and forward it on to the group.
• At the next meeting we hope to hear some preliminary results of the rangeland producer survey that John Tanaka is leading.
• Next meeting will be set up by Don and Julie in Park City, UT, September 16-17, 2015.
• Planning continues for the 2015 SRM meeting in Sacramento, with WERA contributing in the Sage Grouse and many others. WERA member Huntsinger is the Program Chair.

Small group met to discuss regional modeling.

The meeting helped to coordinate activities of land grant university scientists and federal land management agencies related to maintaining and enhancing the social-ecological resilience of rangelands. The potential listing of Sage Grouse as an endangered species is of widespread concern to ranchers, range professionals, and environmentalists, and collaborative approaches are sought.  WERA 1081 has produced data valuable to assessing the impacts of alternate scenarios for enhancing sagebrush habitat while fostering ecosystem and range industry sustainability.  WERA has provided an opportunity for information exchange and regional assessments of economic and policy impacts on a regional scale. Member research has contributed to helping understand the impacts of wind energy, water policy, mineral resource development, wild horse management, and utility provision, among other things, on the sustainability and resilience of social ecological systems on western rangelands/

The group maintains a commitment to consistent productivity in academic and outreach publications, partly through exchange of information on current and future research activities related to social, economic, and ecological aspects of integrated rangeland management. The group has provided information on social-ecological resilience to a spectrum of audiences and members have served on numerous panels, boards, and committees targeting rangeland sustainability issues.

Davies, K.W., M. Vavra, B.L. Schultz, N.R. Rimbey. 2014. Implications of Longer Term Rest from Grazing in the Sagebrush Steppe. J. Rangeland Applications. Vol.1:14-34. http://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/article/view/15

Ferranto, S., Huntsinger, L. and M. Kelly. 2014. Sustaining ecosystem services from private lands in California: the role of the landowner. Rangelands 36(5):44-51.

Harris, Thomas R., Jeffery Stroup, Florina Salaghe and Malieka Landis. “Economic Structure in Humboldt County: A Socio-Economic and Input-Output Analysis”. University Center Technical Report, UCED 2013/14-11, June 2014

Huntsinger, L., and Bartolome, J.W. 2014. Cows? In California? : Rangelands and livestock in the Golden State. Rangelands 36(5): 4-10.

Huntsinger, L. and J. Oviedo. 2014. Ecosystem services may be better termed social ecological services in a traditional pastoral system: The case in California Mediterranean rangelands at multiple scales. Ecology and Society 19 (1): 8 [http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol19/iss1/art8/]

Huntsinger, L., N. Sayre, and L. Macaulay. 2014. Ranchers, land tenure, and grass-rootsgovernance: maintaining pastoralist use of rangelands in the U.S. in three different settings. In: Herrera, P.M., Davies, J. and Manzano Baena, P. (eds). The governance of rangelands: Collective action for sustainable pastoralism. London, UK: Routledge (IUCN).

Lewin, P.A., N.R. Rimbey, A. Brown, K.S. Jensen, J.D. Wulfhorst. 2014. Regional Economic Impact Model of Owyhee County. University of Idaho Dept. of Ag. Econ. and Rural Soc.  AEE Series 14-01.  Available at: http://web.cals.uidaho.edu/idahoagbiz/files/2014/07/AEES14011.pdf

Lubell, M., B. Cutts, L.M. Roche, J.D. Derner, M. Hamilton, E. Kachergis, K.W. Tate. 2013. Conservation program participation and adaptive rangeland decision- making. Rangeland Ecology and Management 66:609-620.

Plieninger, T., Hui, C., Gaertner, M. and L. Huntsinger. 2014. The impact of land abandonment on species richness and abundance in the Mediterranean Basin: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 9(5): e98355. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098355

Richardson, James, Brian Herbst, and Thomas R. Harris. “Economic Analysis of Management Options Following a Closure of BLM Rangeland Options due to Sage Grouse Population in Elko County”. University Center Technical Report, UCED 2013/14-07, January 2014.

Rimbey, N., L. A. Torell, S. Kane, J. Gustanski, K. J., and S. D. 2014. Idaho Private Rangeland Grazing—Lease Arrangements. .  Moscow, IDUniversity of Idaho Agr. Exp. Sta. Research Bulletin 185. 27 p. Available at: http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/RES/RES185.pdf Accessed Sept. 15, 2014.

Strand, E. K., K. L. Launchbaugh, R. F. Limb, and L. A. Torell. 2014. Livestock Grazing Effects on Fuel Loads for Wildland Fire in Sagebrush Dominated Ecosystems. J. of Rangeland Applications 1:35-57. Available at: http://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/index. Accessed September 16, 2014.

Torell, L. A., N. R. Rimbey, J. A. Tanaka, D. T. Taylor, J. P. Ritten, and T. K. Faulke. 2014. Ranch-Level Economic Impacts of Altering Grazing Policies on Federal Land to Protect the Greater Sage-Grouse.  Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming Extension Bulletin B-1258. 38 p. Available at: http://www.wyoextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1258.pdf.  Accessed September 16, 2014.

Torell, L. A., N. R. Rimbey, J. A. Tanaka, D. T. Taylor, and J. D. Wulfhorst. 2014. Ranch Level Economic Impact Analysis for Public Lands: A Guide to Methods, Issues, and Applications. J. of Rangeland Applications 1:1-13. Available at: http://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/index. Accessed September 16, 2014.