SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: WERA_OLD40 : Rangeland Ecological Research and Assessment
- Period Covered: 10/01/2003 to 09/01/2004
- Date of Report: 12/08/2004
- Annual Meeting Dates: 10/04/2004 to 10/06/2004
Participants
Barker, Bill (william.barker@ndsu.nodak.edu) - North Dakota State University; Bunting, Steve (sbunting@uidaho.edu) - University of Idaho; Hardesty, Linda (lhardest@wsu.edu) - Washington State University; Johnson, Pat (patj@ces.sdstate.edu - South Dakota State University; Jacobs, Jim (jjj@uwyo.edu) - University of Wyoming; Jones, Bruce (jones.bruce@epa.gov) - US EPA; Krueger, Bill (william.e.krueger@oregonstate.edu) - Oregon State University; Marlow, Clayton (cmarlow@montana.edu) - Montana State University; McDaniel, Kirk (kmcdanie@nmsu.edu) - New Mexico State University; Perryman, Barry (bperryman@cabnr.unr.edu) - University of Nevada Reno; Ramsey, Doug (doug.ramsey@usu.edu) - Utah State University; Smith, Mike (pearl@uwyo.edu) - University of Wyoming; Vermeire, Lance (lance@larrl.ars.usda.gov) - USDA ARS; West, Neil (new369@cc.usu.edu) - Utah State University;
While there was not a specific topic for this years annual meeting, the committees discussion focused on the different protocols being developed and used by agencies and individuals to monitor and/or evaluate rangeland condition. Committee members have concerns both with the description and development of site criteria as well as the expertise of individuals collecting the data. Several suggestions for WERA-40 involvement were discussed. Possible WERA-40 activities range from evaluating the quality of NRI data on a state-by-state basis to offering a certification program for rangeland monitoring. The rest of the meeting focused on state reports and discussion of topics and activities for a new project proposal for WERA-40. A subcommittee comprised of Steve Bunting, Mike Smith, Bill Krueger, and Clayton Marlow was established to address the development of a proposal for WERA-40. The subcommittees proposal will be discussed at next years annual meeting. Barry Perryman was elected secretary and Bruce Jones will move to chair of WERA-40 for next year. Next years meeting will be October 27-29, 2005 in New Mexico with Kirk McDaniel serving as host. Bruce and Kirk will work together in setting up the meeting.
Accomplishments
WCC 40 met twice with WCC 55 to develop and refine a joint symposium on changes in rangeland use since the early 1950s. During the 2001 joint meeting in San Angelo, TX both committees recognized the changing nature of rangeland use in the western states and began investigating the potential of using a symposium format to elevate the awareness of Range Scientists, Range Managers and Economists to the changes. Under dual chairmanship from both WCC groups various experts in geography, social sciences, economics and wildlife management were asked to develop papers for the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City (2004). At a joint meeting in Reno, NV in 2003 participants listened to draft presentations, made recommendations and selected reviewers for a published proceeding. The symposium, Rangelands in Transition: The Changing Faces of Rangeland Users: Implications for Management and Rangeland Sustainability was presented at Salt Lake City, UT in February 2004 with over 125 professionals in attendance.
WCC 40 membership has continued to be closely involved with both Federal and state land managers and private stock producers to monitor rangeland responses to management activities and climatic variables. One example would be review of efforts by the Natural Resource Conservation Service to develop ecological site descriptions for each of the 13 participating states. This appears to have expedited finalization of these important land classification tools for use in rangeland monitoring. A second accomplishment was input into efforts to produce a region-wide map of vegetation and landforms (referred to the GAP Project) for identifying fragmentation of critical wildlife habitat. This resulted in identification of more vegetation cover type classes (36 classes expanded to 80) to refine the accuracy of an ecosystem map for Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and southern California. WCC 40 input also helped the REGAP team standardize vegetation class nomenclature for the West.
Impacts
- Monitoring guidelines for management compliance and ecosystem health are being implemented in a number of western states because of WCC 40 efforts during the current cycle. Examples are: permittee led monitoring on the Bureau of Land Management Pinedale District and the Bighorn National Fores in Wyoming and wetland condition and a conservation diversity index developed in North Dakota. A similar effort to incorporate permittee monitoring is being introduced in the fall of 2004 in Nevada.
- Implementation of rotational grazing practices in North Dakota has generated about one million per year for North Dakota producers.
- Using comments from the WCC-40 review the NRCS in New Mexico has refined its ecological site descriptions.
- Input from WCC-40 on proposed curricula changes in the Range Science programs at Montana State University and North Dakota State University have led to substantial changes in the respective degree programs.
- Based on our experience with earlier symposia, e.g. proper use of utilization standards, biodiversity, it will take one to two more years before pronounced changes in range management policy for new rangeland users will be incorporated in various state and Federal agency operations.