The Art of Range

Many ranchers don't do it for the money, but one cannot ranch for long only losing money. In this first episode in a grant-funded series on ranch financial resiliency, Jack Southworth discusses principles and common problems in ranch money management with James Rogers and Clay Worden. Stay tuned for more. TRANSCRIPT available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-86-intro-ranch-financial-resiliency-jack-southworth-james-rogers-clay-worden.

Americans hear news of social conflict and small-scale warfare in Africa and we ignore the news because it's far away and doesn't affect us. It's also not possible to meaningfully engage emotionally with everything bad happening around the globe. But there are real people and animals in Cameroon whose lives are disrupted, and because pastoralists are often politically marginalized it's important to tell their stories. This interview touches on the geography of West-central Africa, the lifestyle of Shuwa pastoralists, and the ecology behind the transhumance grazing movements. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Thousands of pastoralists seek refuge in Waza National Park, Cameroon: https://pfbc-cbfp.org/news-partner/THECONVERSATION-PaulScholte-Waza.html Other papers are referenced at the episode page listed below. TRANSCRIPT at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-85-pastoralists-displaced-cameroon-africa-mark-moritz-paul-scholte.

Paul Bechtel is an almost-centenarian, born 1923, whose family was lured to Eastern Montana by hopes of homesteading good land still free for the taking. Reality wasn't quite so gentle in the northern Great Plains in the rainshadow of the Rocky Mountains. He lived in Ekelaka in harsh conditions through the Great Depression and until he joined the U.S. Army in 1941, but his best memories of his entire life are from this era. It was a good place to be a free range child. In this episode, co-hosted with Mark Teske, a wildlife biologist, Paul reminisces about eating sage grouse, measuring dirt tanks, and earning creative car payments in a remote agricultural local economy. TRANSCRIPT AND PHOTO available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-84-perspectives-memoirs-habitat-and-homesteading-eastern-montana-paul-bechtel. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The book Paul refers to by an author who lived in Seattle for a time is "Bad Land: An American Romance", by Jonathan Raban, ISBN 0679759069. Homestead Act originally offered 160 acres, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/homestead-act

This episode is the second in a two-part series with the authors of a recent article in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management telling the story behind their work on ranch sustainability: Clare Kazanski & Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy), Patrick Lendrum (World Wildlife Fund), and Sheri Spiegal (Jornada Experimental Range). Sheri was recently honored with the USDA ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award. The organizations represented by these and other contributing authors are all involved in evaluating environmental and social success in ranching. Quoting from the article: "There is a need for greater clarity on which indicators are most effective for assessing and monitoring sustainable management and continuous improvement of ranching operations. Our objective was to synthesize existing guidance on monitoring and assessing ranch-scale sustainability in the United States and to identify core ecological, social, and economic indicators that could identify well-managed ranching, support adaptive management, and demonstrate producers’ sustainability and continuous improvement to retailers and consumers. We evaluated 21 range and pastureland assessments from nongovernmental organizations, agencies, and academics that totaled 180 indicators. From this, we selected 20 commonly used “core” indicators (12 ecological and 8 socioeconomic)" that can be used to measure ranch sustainability. Article link, REM issue 79, open access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742421001020 https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/sustainable-grazing-lands/ Sustainable Southwest Beef Project--Tools for Ranch and Rangeland Resilience. https://southwestbeef.org/ Long-Term Agroecosystem Research program. https://www.ars.usda.gov/natural-resources-and-sustainable-agricultural-systems/water-availability-and-watershed-management/docs/long-term-agroecosystem-research-ltar-network/ TRANSCRIPT coming soon at the episode webpage: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-83-synthesis-ranch-level-sustainability-indicators-land-managers-part-2

This episode has the authors of a recent article in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management tell the story behind their work: Clare Kazanski & Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy), Patrick Lendrum (World Wildlife Fund), and Sheri Spiegal (Jornada Experimental Range). Sheri was recently honored with the USDA ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award. The organizations represented by these and other contributing authors are all involved in evaluating environmental and social success in ranching. Quoting from the article: "There is a need for greater clarity on which indicators are most effective for assessing and monitoring sustainable management and continuous improvement of ranching operations. Our objective was to synthesize existing guidance on monitoring and assessing ranch-scale sustainability in the United States and to identify core ecological, social, and economic indicators that could identify well-managed ranching, support adaptive management, and demonstrate producers’ sustainability and continuous improvement to retailers and consumers. We evaluated 21 range and pastureland assessments from nongovernmental organizations, agencies, and academics that totaled 180 indicators. From this, we selected 20 commonly used “core” indicators (12 ecological and 8 socioeconomic)" that can be used to measure ranch sustainability. Article link, REM issue 79, open access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742421001020 https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/sustainable-grazing-lands/ Sustainable Southwest Beef Project--Tools for Ranch and Rangeland Resilience. https://southwestbeef.org/ Long-Term Agroecosystem Research program. https://www.ars.usda.gov/natural-resources-and-sustainable-agricultural-systems/water-availability-and-watershed-management/docs/long-term-agroecosystem-research-ltar-network/ TRANSCRIPT at the episode webpage: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-82-synthesis-ranch-level-sustainability-indicators-land-managers-part-1

Jim O'Rourke and Barbara Hutchinson have been part of the effort to have a United Nations International Year acknowledging the importance of rangelands and the people of rangelands for many years. On March 15, 2022, the UN General Assembly finally approved this proposal. Listen to Jim and Barbara describe why this matters for people who already know and care about rangelands and how you can heighten awareness of the social and ecological importance of rangelands worldwide. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IYRP AT THESE LINKS (Live links are on the episode website at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-81-welcome-2026-intl-year-rangelands-pastoralists) Main IYRP website: https://iyrp.info/ Introduction to the IYRP (Video) - https://youtu.be/zToSadWebwc?list=PLgz33fsrwiVkGSJE-I84wsKL8nOfRPdyU Pastoralism is the Future (Video) - https://youtu.be/DeqITzac9Ac Who are pastoralists? (Word Cloud) - https://iyrp.info/who-are-pastoralists What are rangelands? (Word Cloud) - https://iyrp.info/what-are-rangelands North American section: https://iyrp.info/north-america Facebook IYRP Global - https://www.facebook.com/IYRP2026 Facebook IYRP North America - https://www.facebook.com/IYRPNorthAmerica2026/ Twitter IYRP Global - https://twitter.com/IYRP2026 Twitter IYRP North America - https://twitter.com/IYRPNA2026 Instagram IYRP Global - https://www.instagram.com/iyrp2026/ Instagram IYRP North America - https://www.instagram.com/iyrpnorthamerica2026/ TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-81-welcome-2026-intl-year-rangelands-pastoralists

We're taking a break this week from the normal release schedule. Come back on April 14 for the first episode in a two-part series on ranch sustainability indicators. You can prepare for that episode by downloading the article at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2021.08.011. If that link gives you trouble, email me at [email protected].

Ranching for Profit is an organization started by Stan Parsons and recently run by Dave Pratt that has been helping ranchers work on the business instead of in the business for decades. Dallas Mount, former Univ. of Wyoming Extension economist and now co-owner of Ranch Management Consultants, talks with Tip about ranch finance competencies, common weaknesses in ranch financial planning, and fundamental steps livestock producers can take to understand costs and put assets to work for them. This episode introduces a new grant through Western Extension for Risk Management Education that will provide outreach on ranch finance and use of livestock insurance products. Tune in for a teaser on fixed assets and working capital . . . Learn more about Ranching for Profit schools and Executive Link at https://ranchmanagement.com/. TRANSCRIPT Available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-80-should-ranching-be-profitable-dallas-mount.

Forestry and range sciences are tied to each other in a long and complex social history, and many areas of the Western U.S. and semi-arid parts of the world host rangeland and forest plant communities in the same space and within the same management boundaries. So there is good reason to encourage range folk to given some attention to forestry, not necessarily 'board-feet' production forestry but the ecology of forests and their interactions with rangeland plant communities. This interview with Sean Alexander introduces a high-quality forest ecology-focused podcast with similar background philosophy to The Art of Range -- long interviews on a diversity of topics. Consider subscribing to The Forest Overstory Podcast if you live and work on rangeland with tall range weeds, I mean trees (the late Dr. Kendall Johnson's joke). RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Forest Overstory Podcast, start here: https://forestry.wsu.edu/forestoverstory/ Paul Hessburg's TEDx talk, Living in an Era of Megafires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDZNkm8Mas WSU's forestry Extension website: https://forestry.wsu.edu/ Ann Stinson, The Ground At My Feet -- Sustaining a Family and a Forest: https://www.amazon.com/Ground-My-Feet-Sustaining-Family/dp/0870711466/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Transcript available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-79-forest-overstory-podcast-sean-alexander

How do we build soil health? What is soil health? Is careful grazing helpful or hurtful? Can anything be done to meaningfully influence soil health? And how would we know? What can be measured that indicates progress? These are the questions Derek Scasta and Jeff Goodwin and their team intend to begin to answer through a recently funded national-scale project called Metrics, Management, and Monitoring: An Investigation of Pasture and Rangeland Soil Health and Its Drivers. This ambitious research and outreach effort, funded through a variety of public and private monies, will combine state-of-the-art experimental research with case studies documenting existing soil health effects on farms and ranches where consistent practices have been in place for years (and unlike investing, prior performance does predict future results). These results will inform policy and trade in carbon markets, enhance agricultural resilience to climate uncertainty, and advise land managers on how to increase profitability, land health, and animal health. This interview introduces the project's history, objectives, and timeline. Stay tuned for those future results. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Ecological Outcomes Verification, https://bit.ly/3sNy9GT Journal article, "Usable Science: Soil Health", Rangelands, 2016. Journal article, "Valuing and Rewarding Ecosystem Services From Rangelands", Rangelands, 2014. Journal article, "Rangelands and Ecosystem Services: Economic Wealth From Land Health?", Rangelands, 2011 Article links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-78-one-study-rule-them-all-3m-soil-health-research-jeff-goodwin-derek-scasta TRANSCRIPT Coming soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-78-one-study-rule-them-all-3m-soil-health-research-jeff-goodwin-derek-scasta

Seeding in extreme environments such as arid and semi-arid rangelands requires extra care in site preparation, species selection, seed selection, seed placement, planting timing, and care for emerging seedlings. Mel Asher and Jerry Benson have been successfully doing large-scale restoration on challenging rangeland settings for many years. Jerry owns BFI Native Seeds, specializing in locally-sourced native species for the Intermountain West; Mel is the new owner of Derby Canyon Natives, a company that provides live plant stock, mostly containerized. She and Jerry have been doing post-fire rehabilitation for long enough to speak with some authority and they literally wrote the book on it. This episode covers nearly multiple aspects of rangeland seedings, with a focus on plant materials. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE http://www.bfinativeseeds.com/ https://derbycanyonnatives.com/ Shrub-steppe and grassland restoration manual for the Columbia River Basin, https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01330 Transcript at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-77-local-seed-genetics-range-seeding-methods-mel-asher-jerry-benson.

Deciding whether to seed, what to seed, and how to apply seed after wildfire are weighty questions. Seeding costs money, seedings often fail, and most rangelands won't pay you back for rehabilitation failure. Richard Fleenor, NRCS state rangelands conservationist in Washington, has a background in plant materials and revegetation and discusses with Tip analyzing burn severity, pre-fire plant community composition, and options in seed selection and application. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Shrub-Steppe and Grassland Restoration Manual for the Columbia River Basin: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01330 OR & WA Guide for Conservation Seedings & Plantings (NRCS publication): https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_042417.pdf NRCS Eastern Oregon/Washington Rangeland and Grazed Forest Seeding Guide, Tech note 1: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/wapmstn11194.pdf TRANSCRIPT: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-76-seed-or-not-seed-post-fire-rehabilitation-richard-fleenor

Soil organic matter is considered an indicator of soil health, there are numerous methods promoted for building it, SOM is credited with the potential to alleviate greenhouse gas increase, but Andy & Doug say the way we've understood SOM is perhaps an artifact of the old ways of measuring it. The complexity of what we call 'organic matter' is significant, challenging, and prompts a re-thinking of both soil health measurement and soil-building practices. This episode is not quite "Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Soil Organic Matter is Wrong", but advances in soil biology and chemistry will certainly challenge your long-held notions about this topic. If you haven't heard part 1 of this interview with Doug Collins and Andy McGuire, go to episode 74. Related resources: WSU Extension publication by Doug & Andy, "Understanding and Measuring Organic Matter in Soil" can be downloaded at https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/understanding-and-measuring-organic-matter-in-soil. Recent article at the website BioCycle, referencing Collins' and McGuire's work: "Saying Goodbye to a Soil Organic Matter Fundamental", www.biocycle.net/connections-sayi…ter-fundamental/

Soil organic matter is considered an indicator of soil health, there are numerous methods promoted for building it, SOM is credited with the potential to alleviate greenhouse gas increase, but Andy & Doug say the way we've understood SOM is perhaps an artifact of the old ways of measuring it. The complexity of what we call 'organic matter' is significant, challenging, and prompts a re-thinking of both soil health measurement and soil-building practices. This episode is not quite "Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Soil Organic Matter is Wrong", but advances in soil biology and chemistry will certainly challenge your long-held notions about this topic. Be sure to come back for Part 2 of this interview with Doug Collins and Andy McGuire, both of them agronomists and professional soils enthusiasts. Related resources: WSU Extension publication by Doug & Andy, "Understanding and Measuring Organic Matter in Soil" can be downloaded at https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/understanding-and-measuring-organic-matter-in-soil. Recent article at the website BioCycle, referencing Collins' and McGuire's work: "Saying Goodbye to a Soil Organic Matter Fundamental", www.biocycle.net/connections-sayi…ter-fundamental/

Ranch sustainability requires land care that works for the long haul and management that makes a profit more years than not. Jim Rickert, owner of the Prather Ranch in northern California, makes the case that a ranch must take care of people and animals, too, in order to last, and these goals are synergistic, not mutually exclusive. This two-part interview with Jim chronicles his circuitous path from a masters degree doing linear programming models of farm financial alternatives under Earl Butz, economist at Purdue, later US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Nixon and Ford, to running a fully integrated beef operation, with a closed cow herd, a ranch feedlot, and a gold-standard abattoir. Perhaps most unique, Prather Ranch has "an international reputation as a supplier of high quality bovine hides, bones, tissues, organs and other bovine xenograft materials for the medical device, pharmaceutical and biological industries." If you missed part one of this interview, see episode 72. Learn more about the Prather Ranch at https://www.pratherranch.com/. Learn more about their meat marketing at https://www.prathermeats.com/. Information about the bovine parts used for medical purposes is at https://www.closedherd.com/.

Ranch sustainability requires land care that works for the long haul and management that makes a profit more years than not. Jim Rickert, owner of the Prather Ranch in northern California, makes the case that a ranch must take care of people and animals, too, in order to last, and these goals are synergistic, not mutually exclusive. This two-part interview with Jim chronicles his circuitous path from a masters degree doing linear programming models of farm financial alternatives under Earl Butz, economist at Purdue, later US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Nixon and Ford, to running a fully integrated beef operation, with a closed cow herd, a ranch feedlot, and a gold-standard abattoir. Perhaps most unique, Prather Ranch has "an international reputation as a supplier of high quality bovine hides, bones, tissues, organs and other bovine xenograft materials for the medical device, pharmaceutical and biological industries." Be sure to check back for part two of this fascinating interview. And please take a short listener survey here: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eG2NDoDEVAnGh3U. Learn more about the Prather Ranch at https://www.pratherranch.com/. Learn more about their meat marketing at https://www.prathermeats.com/. Information about the bovine parts used for medical purposes is at https://www.closedherd.com/.

Ranching and livestock production on rangelands provide food and fiber concurrently with other ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, clean air and water, carbon sequestration, cultural resources, recreational opportunities and scenic vistas. However, an implicit “wicked challenge” is the lack of mechanisms to effectively value ecological services to reward ranchers and landowners for their conservation. A desire to conserve rangelands and enhance ecological values has brought together individuals of otherwise disparate views. Using whole landscapes to provide ecosystems services and economic viability has turned charismatic environmentalists into ranching advocates and ranchers into conservation activists. This is adapted from a recording of the Society for Range Management's 2021 annual meeting plenary session on Feb 15. To download the PowerPoint slides for these talks, go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-71-huntsinger-gennet-how-conserve-ranches-and-support-environmental-stewardship Transcript: https://bit.ly/2YQFPNn

How to measure soil carbon, influence soil carbon, and influence others to care about soil carbon has motivated Peter Donovan for nearly three decades now. He locates himself squarely between the social worlds of science and practice and has worked to foster the relationship between knowing and doing with a passion that is unusual in our culture. In this wide-ranging interview, he and Tip discuss what is soil carbon, what we don't know about soil carbon, and the importance of social networks and internal motivation to caring for land well. Be sure to take a look at the Soil Carbon Coalition website: https://soilcarboncoalition.org/ Transcript: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-70-soil-carbon-and-social-networks-peter-donovan

Microbial source tracking has gained accuracy in the last decade, and a multidisciplinary team at University of Idaho recently used MST methods to help US Forest Service managers identify causes of contamination of a stream listed by regulatory authorities for high bacteria. This is the first of a two-part episode with Eric Winford, Associate Director of the Idaho Rangelands Center; Dr. Jim Sprinkle, Univ. of Idaho Extension beef specialist at the Nancy Cummings Research & Extension Center; Dr. Jane Lucas, post-doc in Univ. of Idaho Dept. of Soil & Water Systems; and Alan Kolok, Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. Listen to learn about E.coli as an indicator species, methods to determine what animals are contributing e. coli to streams, potential targeted water quality improvement practices, and more. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, www.uidaho.edu/research/entities/iwrri Alan Kolok, IWRRI director, can be reached at www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/kolok Idaho Rangelands Center, www.uidaho.edu/cnr/rangeland-center Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission article about this Mink Creek study, idrange.org/range-stories/south…ry-solved-with-dna/ Transcript: https://bit.ly/3z1UBhp

Microbial source tracking has gained accuracy in the last decade, and a multidisciplinary team at University of Idaho recently used MST methods to help US Forest Service managers identify causes of contamination of a stream listed by regulatory authorities for high bacteria. This is the first of a two-part episode with Eric Winford, Associate Director of the Idaho Rangelands Center; Dr. Jim Sprinkle, Univ. of Idaho Extension beef specialist at the Nancy Cummings Research & Extension Center; Dr. Jane Lucas, post-doc in Univ. of Idaho Dept. of Soil & Water Systems; and Alan Kolok, Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. Listen to learn about E.coli as an indicator species, methods to determine what animals are contributing e. coli to streams, potential targeted water quality improvement practices, and more. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, https://www.uidaho.edu/research/entities/iwrri Alan Kolok, IWRRI director, can be reached at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/kolok Idaho Rangelands Center, https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/rangeland-center Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission article about this Mink Creek study, https://idrange.org/range-stories/southeast-idaho/mink-creek-water-quality-an-e-coli-mystery-solved-with-dna/ TRANSCRIPT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-68-wildland-stream-bacteria-forensics-science-idaho-part-1

Grazing managers of any kind and in any place must answer the questions of what is and what is not possible and how to manage toward meaningful landscape change. LandPKS was developed to make basic rangeland site data available to anyone and enable time-efficient long-term monitoring based on the rangeland health principles. Jeff Herrick has been working with graziers and managers across the globe for some years to develop an easy-to-use system to "support farmers, ranchers, gardeners, land-use planners, and other natural resource managers with open-source tools that allow them to easily access knowledge and information, and to collect, share, and interpret their own soil, vegetation cover, and management data. LandPKS data, information, and knowledge can be used to improve soil health and productivity. It supports all approaches to land management including traditional, regenerative, organic, and holistic." Listen to this practical discussion between Tip and Jeff about recently updated features of the LandPKS app and data portal as well as general principles supporting rangeland monitoring of grazing areas and adaptive management. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Land PKS training modules. https://landpotential.org/knowledge-hub/ Land PKS data portal. https://landpotential.org/data-portal/ And to install the app and begin working . . . https://landpotential.org/mobile-app/ TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/37l9EGH Coming soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-67-land-potential-knowledge-system-revisited-jeff-herrick

The future ain't what it used to be (Yogi Berra): there are more price risks and stressors on cattle markets than ever, and the predictability of cattle markets is at an all-time low. Livestock insurance is not new but is recently gaining adoption as a reliable risk tool to prevent catastrophic financial losses and prepare for uncertainties such as drought. Listen to Jack Field, with CKP Insurance, discuss insurance products with Dr. Shannon Neibergs, WSU livestock economist and director for the Western Center for Risk Management Education. For more information, contact Jack directly at [email protected] or (509) 929-1711 . Transcript: https://bit.ly/3x5mbIC More information from USDA Risk Management Agency on LRP is available at https://www.rma.usda.gov/Policy-and-Procedure/Insurance-Plans/Livestock-Insurance-Plans.

Pima County owns and leases large tracts of land for working landscapes and biological conservation. Vanessa Prileson manages the range program which ensures this arrangement is successful and has good advice for other organizations selecting lessees/operators who need to be able to manage toward conservation goals and as well as economic and production goals. Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=52654 TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3AHjH6l

Ted Turner started buying ranch land in the early 1990s as both an investment and to conserve habitat for imperiled species at a spatial scale that would be meaningful. Today, Turner Enterprises owns nearly 2 million acres of land across the Western United States. Mark Kossler manages the ranching operations on these 15 properties, all of which include bison. Carter Kruse is the lead scientist for the management efforts behind numerous species conservation efforts on Turner's holdings. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://tedturnerreserves.com/our-mission/ TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3vua1cb

Spring 2021 arrived with a large percentage of the Western U.S. exhibiting below-average precipitation, in some places a lot below the 15-year mean. Matt Reeves discusses current conditions and potential ecological responses, and Shannon Neibergs analyzes livestock management options, including current cattle markets, hay supply, and herd management scenarios. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Matt has a periodic spring/summer webinar called Reading the Tea Leaves: https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/events/tealeaves The Fuelcast website is https://www.fuelcast.net/ Livestock Forage Program: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/livestock_forage_program_lfp-fact_sheet.pdf IRS tax management, weather-related(drought) sales of livestock: https://ruraltax.org/files-ou/RTEWeatherRelatedSalesofLivestock.pdf TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2SzCTkZ

Ashley Hibbard may seem an unlikely rancher, but she may do more to change minds about ranching than most who seem more likely advocates. Ashley, who astute listeners will remember from the Women in Ranching Forum from SRM's 2020 annual meeting, runs an artist-in-residency program on the Sieben Live Stock Company home place in central Montana. Good art can bypass bad logic, and the beauty of ranching done well affects even those who think ranching is detrimental to both humans and the planet. Listen to Ashley tell her story in this interview. SHOW NOTES Ashley and Cooper are featured in a Montana Land Reliance video series, "Stewardship with Vision." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=179SsWS2RJo Women in Ranching recording: https://soundcloud.com/art-of-range/aor-036-srm-09-womeninranching TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3fo0sWS

Gus Hormay worked with the Sieben Live Stock Company in the 1970s and 80s to help him understand rotation grazing principles. Chase and Cooper have adapted these ideas, centered on extended rest, to their context and needs. This approach has worked especially well on public lands managed for elk habitat. They received the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Stewardship Award in 2003 in recognition of these efforts and results. In this second half of the interview, Cooper and Chase describe their blend of rest-rotation and short-duration, high intensity grazing, methods for winter grazing, and putting this all together in some mixed-ownership landscape grazing projects. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Working Cows podcast interview with Cooper: https://workingcows.net/?s=hibbard Kiss the Ground, documentary on regenerative agriculture: https://kisstheground.com/ Scott Chase's (Cooper's dad) new book, Beyond the Rio Gila: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Rio-Gila-Scott-Hibbard/dp/1432866133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20PWDKDLFEKN6&dchild=1&keywords=beyond+the+rio+gila+scott+hibbard&qid=1620216618&sprefix=beyond+the+rio+%2Caps%2C300&sr=8-1 Angus Beef Bulletin article: http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/ArticlePDF/0303abb_Sieben.pdf 2021 Rangelands journal article "Potential to improve winter grazing pastures: Sieben Land and Livestock study": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019005282100002X. Authors estimate that It is estimated that grazing instead of feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada. TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3wDtyat

"Big ranches mean big risks", says Chase Hibbard. Large lands and lots of cattle doesn't equal guaranteed success in the economically unforgiving world of family ranching. The Sieben Live Stock Company has been around for 6 generations and has both awards and scars to show for their perseverance. All good stories have tension and dark threads in the weaving. Join Tip in a conversation with Chase and Cooper Hibbard about navigating the ups and downs of keeping a big ranch together. They discuss the fascinating history of this iconic Montana ranch, hard succession planning decisions, and how management is sustained today. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Sieben Live Stock Company website: https://www.siebenlivestock.com/ Charlie Russell painting, "Waiting for a Chinook", aka "Last of the 5,000": https://www.charlesmarionrussell.org/Waiting-For-A-Chinook.html Montana Land Reliance: https://mtlandreliance.org/ Land Trust Alliance: https://www.landtrustalliance.org/. The Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that represents more than 1,000 member land trusts and is a good source for more information about land trusts and conservation easements. https://www.landtrustalliance.org/ Ties to the Land succession planning: http://tiestotheland.org/ TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3hYvA0W

Farmer and rancher mental health has been in the news the past few years, with farmer suicide rates alarmingly high. Farmers and ranchers are often seen as the embodiment of the American ideal -- the rugged individualist who is self-sufficient, doesn't need help, lives on the land, doesn't have problems . . . but the stresses of modern farming, especially financial stresses, leave many feeling hopeless and helpless. Don McMoran and Kristen Hinton-Vanvalkenburg discuss programs to help farmers and their families deal productively with the stressors and with mental health challenges unique to farming. There are several signs or symptoms to look for when stress has begun to take an effect on you or someone you know. If you see something, say something! Thoughts of hurting oneself Care of Livestock Declines Increase in Agriculture-Related Accidents Appearance of Farmstead Declines Children Show Signs of Stress Lack of energy/motivation to do usual tasks Loss of interest in favorite activities Alcohol and/or substance abuse/addiction Withdrawal from others Relational tension RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WSU Extension Suicide Prevention. https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/suicide-prevention/. WSU and the Agricultural Suicide Prevention Program is not a crisis center. IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention line, 1(800) 273-TALK (8255). Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Center. https://farmstress.us/ National AgrAbility Project. http://www.agrability.org/ Hanna Ranch, the movie: https://www.amdoc.org/watch/hanna-ranch/ and here: https://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Ranch-Mitch-Dickman/dp/B00KIGQLEK TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3qTwZ9x

Americans often refer to electric fence as "New Zealand" fence, and many other grazing innovations seem to have origins in this relative small island in the southern hemisphere. Thomas Maxwell, a pasture scholar from Lincoln University in NZ, provides an overview of the history of indigenous land use, European settlement, and domesticated grazing animal use in New Zealand. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Recent article "Functional diversity vs monotony: The effect of a multi-forage diet as opposed to a single forage diet on animal intake, performance, welfare, and urinary nitrogen excretion". https://academic.oup.com/jas/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jas/skab058/6148868 TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/30ZzjkM

Americans are vaguely aware of pastoralism as a term connoting a lifestyle that revolves around animal raising, but most of us don't have much more understanding than a loose attempt at a definition. Fiona Flintan has spent much of her career with the International Livestock Research Institute working with pastoralist cultures in Africa, helping secure rights to land and address conflicts, and communicating this way of life to the outside world. Listen in on her conversation with Tip about livestock as a way of life rather than a means of obtaining money, about unique features of pastoralist peoples, of the nature of conflicts over abundance rather than shortage. RESOURCES MENTIONED: https://www.ilri.org/ Guidelines for participatory rangeland management: https://www.ilri.org/publications/mapping-guidelines-participatory-rangeland-management-pastoral-and-agro-pastoral-0 TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/37BWYvB

Maurice and Beth are a father-daughter team who raise and sell farm-finished beef in Eastern Washington and are perhaps the first two-generation pair trained in holistic management. They have experienced the highs and lows of making a family ranch run well: for people, for land, for animals, for consumers. They reflect in this interview on decades of practice and adaptive learning and offer entrepreneurial lessons for others interested in doing direct meat sales and identifying other profit centers connected to a truly sustainable ranching operation. Beth operates a Cowgirl Camp (http://pnchm.org/educational-opportunities/new-cowgirl-camp/) for women in ranching, and the ranch website offers a good example for others working to promote their meat sales: https://www.lazyrbeef.com/. WEBSITES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.lazyrbeef.com/ http://pnchm.org/educational-opportunities/new-cowgirl-camp/ https://csanr.wsu.edu/case-studies/ TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2OTpYbI

Some people are called to work at the intersection of theory and practice and to challenge unchallenged ideas about what we do and why we do what we do. Clay Conry is one of those people. His Working Cows podcast is occupying a niche in livestock agriculture. As both a practicing rancher and a thinker, Clay is influencing sustainable agriculture for the good, for healthy land and animals as well as human flourishing. Join Clay and Tip for a discussion about what Clay has learned through three years of recording a weekly podcast on cows. Subscribe today to the Working Cows podcast. Go to https://workingcows.net/podcasts/ and click on your favorite podcasting app. TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2M74aYT

The Society for Range Management's annual meeting will be held virtually Feb 15-18, and the keynote speakers for the plenary sessions will address three 'wicked problems' in range. Drs. Lynn Huntsinger and Nathan Sayre, who are moderating two of the plenary sessions, discuss the outline of these wicked problems to introduce the important subject matter for this year's conference. SHOW NOTES Register for the conference at http://annualmeeting2021.rangelands.org/. Establish a membership for reduced registration at https://rangelands.org/. TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2Y0Mcd5

Decisions about how and whether to suppress fire on semi-arid rangelands are full of "if, then" statements. Altered plant communities, the absence of historic fire regimes, costs of restoration, and risks of human property or life are just the beginning of considerations necessary for sound wildfire management. Tip and Matt Germino discuss the big picture of how to think about fire on rangelands and fill in a few of the questions that are always answered with "It depends . . . " For more on wildland fire management, listen to episodes 34, 39, 44, 52. For more on invasive grass management, listen to episodes 5, 11, 31, 24, 52. TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2LJZeZr

The relationship between grazing and fire is complex. And the national conversation about using livestock grazing as a control measure is sometimes controversial. Wildfire in general is a difficult topic because of the higher fire potential of many altered plant communities, the recognition that periodic fire is probably necessary in fire-adapted plant communities, and the economic consequences of catastrophic wildfire in suppression costs and direct property damage. Using fire to fight fire and to create fire-resistant or fire-resilient plant communities, is important because it reduces the likelihood of megafires. But grazing is a more controllable tool than even prescribed fire but accomplishes different results than fire. And it's much cheaper than chemical or mechanical treatments on acreage of any size. Join Tip's conversation with Devii Rao (Univ. of California Davis Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor), Felix Ratcliff (LD Ford Consultants in Rangeland Conservation Science), and Sheila Barry (UC-Davis Extension Advisor) about recent fire and grazing research and the idea of maximum residual dry matter as a management tool. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Blog article on results of grazing and fire research. https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=43618 For more information, contact Devii Rao, http://cemonterey.ucanr.edu/about/contact/?facultyid=28070. TRANSCRIPT: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-52-fire-risk-reduction-through-grazing-uc-davis-research-roundtable

To fertilize or not to fertilize? That is NOT the question. Nitrogen is a driver of plant growth but its complex relationship with soil carbon and soil microorganisms makes fertilizing rangelands a complicated subject. Simple solutions often miss the mark, and adding nitrogen to natural plant communities as opposed to agricultural monocultures is usually not a good way to boost forage production. Tip and Matt Germino probe the depths of this fertile question. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Nutrient Network (NUTNET) -- https://nutnet.org/home The textbook Matt referred to is "Exotic Brome-Grasses in Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems of the Western US: Causes, Consequences, and Management Implications (Springer Series on Environmental Management)". Some chapters are available for download without a fee at https://greatbasinfirescience.org/research-publications/exotic-brome-grasses-arid-semiarid-ecosystems-western-us-available-chapters-causes-consequences-management-implications/. See Chapter 3 for impacts of exotic invaders on range ecosystems. Hard copies are available for purchase here https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319249285 or here https://www.amazon.com/Exotic-Brome-Grasses-Semiarid-Ecosystems-Western/dp/3319249282. TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2Kkn1yC

Climate influences vegetation, and a variable climate challenges land management. Cliff Mass, University of Washington atmospheric scientist, discusses climate drivers in the Pacific Northwest, how topography affects weather, whether 2020 wildfires can be attributed to global warming, and state-of-the-science approaches to modeling future climate. This tight episode finishes with Dr. Mass's recent analysis of climate out to 2050. RESOURCES MENTIONED Cliff Mass's popular blog is at cliffmass.blogspot.com. And his book "The Weather of the Pacific Northwest" is available at https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Pacific-Northwest-Cliff-Mass/dp/0295988479. TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/35ezhII

Did you think of dormant-season grazing as grazing standing hay--not much to worry about? There's more going on in the plant than you think. Dr. Steve Fransen sheds some light on multiple dormancy and root shedding periods in grasses as well as eight other growth phases where there is more than meets the eye. Knowledge of these phases should change how we think about grazing grass throughout the year. Dr. Fransen is leading a Pacific Northwest Inland Pasture Calendar project designed to guide grazing management through detailed understanding of plant physiology and phenology. This project will help ranchers and other varieties of 'grass farmers' optimize pasture and rangeland and hay productivity for maximum profitability. Dr. Fransen, Washington State University's forage specialist, has a team of experts offering a 3-day training that is available to anyone interested. This material is applicable to anyone anywhere who is growing cool-season forage species. Register for the November 3-6, 2020 online conference and training at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pnw-inland-pasture-calendar-training-tickets-118686349065. After the event, we will post the conference materials webpage in this same space. That website will host ongoing training opportunities. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Pasture calendar for Western Oregon and Washington: https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/the-western-oregon-and-washington-pasture-calendar PNW Publication, PASTURE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTHWEST https://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/pnw/pnw0614.pdf TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/3m6jNfJ

The last few decades have brought significant technological transitions in rangeland science and animals, specifically with advances in wireless and sensor technologies and access to “big data”. Dr. Cibils answers a few key questions: How can we direct inevitable change in desirable ways? Through these transitions, which can sometimes be disruptive economically or socially, how can we sustain the flow of rangeland products to consumers and improve environmental conditions in order to maintain or increase the well-being of those who live, work, and recreate on rangelands? Dr. Cibils and Tip discuss using technology to reduce ranch operational costs, GPS-enabled animal trackers that provide real-time location data, renewed interest in heritage breeds such as Criollo and Raramuri, and more. Learn more about Dr. Cibils' work at https://southwestbeef.org/ Recently published papers are available here: https://jornada.nmsu.edu/user/10211/biblio. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3cgfYRq

It is cliche but true that most range grazing problems are animal distribution problems. And no one's name is more closely tied to distribution than Derek Bailey. Dr. Bailey and Tip discuss frontiers in understanding and manipulating livestock distribution to conserve rangeland health. The conversation includes animal selection, attractant placement, herding, and technologies for range livestock management. Learn more about Dr. Bailey's work at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek_Bailey Transcript available at: https://bit.ly/2FOO7Mb WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX

The Western U.S. has experienced catastrophic fire frequency and extent in 2020. Matt Reeves, USFS, shares some wildfire prediction tools that may help landowners and agencies prepare in the future for both wildfire and grazing decisions that may help mitigate the effects of fire. He introduces a new monthly webinar for the growing season called “Reading the Tea Leaves”. https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/events/tealeaves MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Fuelcast app, https://www.fuelcast.net/ Rangeland Production Monitoring Service, https://www.lankstonconsulting.com/rpms. Wildfire Decision Support System, https://wfdss.usgs.gov/wfdss/WFDSS_Home.shtml Transcript: https://bit.ly/33NOWNl

"We've overdone management and undervalued leadership." James Rogers is the manager of the Winecup Gamble Ranch in northeastern Nevada, one of the largest ranches in the country, spanning an area larger than Rhode Island. Tip and James discuss the history of the Winecup Gamble, pros and cons of large corporate ranches, their role in ranching and conservation communities, and unique challenges at the Winecup. James also talks about his management philosophy of taking care of people in order to get results on the land and in the commercial enterprise of cow-calf production. The conversation includes a large-scale outcomes-based grazing pilot permit with the Bureau of Land Management. Learn more about the Winecup Gamble Ranch at https://winecupgambleranch.com/. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: COMING SOON!

Restoring desirable native species and ecosystem function after wildfire is challenging and frequently unsuccessful. Land managers increasingly recognize the need to practice adaptive management of burned areas at both the project and regional scales. Acting on this recognition will require managers and scientists to develop a shared understanding of their roles and the challenges and opportunities they experience at each step in the adaptive management process. This symposium focused on how science for informing adaptive management of public lands is being co-produced by scientists and managers regarding the objectives of reducing exotic annual grasses, increasing desirable perennial plant communities, and reducing unhealthy fire frequency or fire size in sagebrush steppe. This symposium was part of the Society for Range Management's Annual Meeting in Denver in February 2020. Laura Van Rieper, BLM Social Scientist at National Riparian Service Team, begins the symposium. Matt Germino on post-fire rehabilitation research at 26:55. David Pilliod on the Land Treatment Exploration Tool at 51:41. Paul Steblein facilitating Q&A begins at 1:14:03. Soda Fire research published by USGS is available at https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/matthew-j-germino?qt-staff_profile_science_products=0#qt-staff_profile_science_products. The Land Treatment Exploration Tool is at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/fresc/science/land-treatment-exploration-tool?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/. To learn more about the Society for Range Management, visit https://rangelands.org/.

Dr. Lauren Porensky is an ecologist interested in plant communities, herbivores, and spatial complexity. Her research focuses on balancing livestock production with conservation and restoration in semi-arid rangelands. Porensky got her PhD at UC Davis working on livestock management and wildlife conservation in central Kenya. She currently investigates the interactive effects of grazing, fire, prairie dogs, and variable weather on plants, livestock, and humans in the northern Great Plains. This is a re-presentation of the plenary address Dr. Porensky delivered at the SRM annual meeting in February 2020. The accompanying PowerPoint slides are available as a PDF document at https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqkhypna7zupqtb/Porensky_plenary_handout.pdf?dl=0. More information about Lauren's research can be found at https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/fort-collins-co/center-for-agricultural-resources-research/rangeland-resources-systems-research/people/lauren-porensky/. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX

Dr. Leslie Roche is a UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in Rangeland Science and Management with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis, and was a USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow and Project Scientist before joining the faculty in September 2015. Her research and extension program is at the intersection of agricultural, environmental, and social issues of ranching and livestock production on California’s grazinglands. She works across diverse systems and uses interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to evaluate adaptive decision-making and management strategies to address key challenges and connect solution-oriented research with the needs of local communities, natural resource managers, and policymakers. This is a re-presentation of the plenary address she delivered at the SRM annual meeting in February 2020. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX Transcription: https://bit.ly/3jmoRMn

Stewart Breck is a research carnivore ecologist with the USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center and a member of the new Colorado State University Center for Human Carnivore Coexistence in Fort Collins. He has been focused on carnivore ecology and behavior and minimizing conflict between carnivores and people many years. The interview also includes Matt Barnes, a grazing consultant out of Colorado who works with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative and has a long history in the middle ground between ranchers and wildlife advocates. Resources mentioned in the interview CSU-Center for Human & Carnivore Coexistence series on wolves in Colorado: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/centerforhumancarnivorecoexistence/projects/people-predators/ Colorado State University fact sheet, Wolves and Livestock: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/people-predators/wolves-and-livestock-8-010/ Barnes paper on links between grazing management and preventing predation: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290434755_Livestock_Management_for_Coexistence_with_Large_Carnivores_Healthy_Land_and_Productive_Ranches Guidebook by Western Landowners Assn.: https://westernlandowners.org/publication/reducing-conflict-with-grizzly-bears-wolves-and-elk/ WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2CZTiaq For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/

Ranching and rangelands are undergoing rapid and intertwined changes. Changes include ecological transitions due to climate and invasive species; land use transitions associated with urbanization and shifting priorities for public lands; demographic transitions reflected in the increasing average age and decreasing number of ranchers; and market transitions associated with changing consumer attitudes and globalized markets. Dr. Place discusses the importance of reconnecting consumers and food producers. Sara Place was recently a science advisor for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. This talk was recorded at the Society for Range Management annual meeting in February 2020 in a symposium titled: Strategies for sustainability transformations in western rangelands. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX Transcript: https://bit.ly/39m4eeM For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/

This is a presentation from the Society for Range Management's annual meeting in February 2020 in a symposium titled "Stakeholder Engagement to Improve Federal Rangeland Wildfire Mitigation and Response". Rangeland wildfires have grown in size, frequency, and length of season due to factors that include increasing human use of rangelands, vegetation state change (e.g., cheatgrass invasion), drought, and climate change. Because western U.S. rangelands are largely managed by the federal government for multiple uses, and because wildfires frequently cross jurisdictional boundaries, implementing successful strategies to reduce wildfire risk and impact or to improve post-wildfire recovery is likely to require involvement by multiple actors beyond the federal rangeland management agencies. This symposium presents results of new research exploring options for engagement between land management agencies and multiple stakeholders to improve federal wildfire mitigation and response. Katherine Wollstein will present results from three BLM field offices showing how formal and informal arrangements and processes affect learning, interpretation, and subsequent implementation of management designed to reduce wildfire risk in Idaho. Find out more about Katie Wollstein at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/policy-analysis-group/about/wollstein Recent publications by Katie --Davis, E. J., Abrams, J., & Wollstein, K. (2019). Rangeland Fire Protection Associations as disaster response organisations. Disasters. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12389. Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/disa.12389 --Abrams, J.A., K. Wollstein, and E.J. Davis. 2018. State Lines, Fire Lines, and Lines of Authority: Rangeland Fire Management and Bottom-Up Cooperative Federalism. Land Use Policy 75:252-259. Abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837718300103 --Abrams, J.A., E.J. Davis, and K. Wollstein. 2017. Rangeland Fire Protection Associations in Great Basin Rangelands: A Model for Adaptive Community Relationships with Wildfire? Human Ecology 45(6):773-785. Abstract at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-017-9945-y. University of Idaho Policy Analysis Group publications are available at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/policy-analysis-group/research/publications. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX Transcript: https://bit.ly/39h1or6 For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/

When rangeland scientists question why those who manage ecosystems do not implement the information developed into action, the manager's concern is not centrally about the quality of data or information but rather the processes of knowledge production and implementation. Knowledge is a result of human reflection and experience, and it is most often found within an individual or collective routine or process that results in an increased capacity for decision-making and action to achieve some purpose. This definition stands in meaningful contrast to data, which refers to unedited descriptions or results of observations about states of past, present or future domains, or information about patterns that observers find or impose onto data that has been generated through experimentation. Speaker is Neal Wilkins (East Foundation). https://eastfoundation.net/the-foundation/our-team/east-foundation-team/neal-wilkins-phd/ WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 60 seconds to complete this survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX Transcript: https://bit.ly/3jnk7pN For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/