News
SRM Addresses Federal Workshop reduction
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The Society for Range Management (SRM) has issued two critical letters to address the significant impact of federal workforce reductions on natural resource management. These letters, sent to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, emphasize the essential role of federal field professionals and researchers in sustaining rangelands and supporting landowners across the country.
In its letter to Secretary Rollins, SRM highlights the essential partnerships between federal field staff and agricultural producers:
“Rangelands comprise nearly 30% of the nation’s total land area—approximately 770 million acres—and are central to both our nation’s food supply and ecological health. These staffing reductions threaten to disrupt essential partnerships and diminish the future effectiveness of rangeland management that supports ranchers, rural economies, and vital landscapes.”
Addressing Secretary Burgum, SRM underscores the lasting consequences workforce reductions inflict on rangeland operations and resource management:
“The loss of this capacity will have far-reaching consequences for our nation’s public lands and those who rely on them. Many ranchers have already been waiting years for critically needed post-fire repair of fences, water structures, and other infrastructure. These delays place significant financial and operational burdens on permittees while stalling essential resource management.”
Both letters stress the importance of restoring federal positions to ensure that essential rangeland management, wildfire prevention, and infrastructure maintenance efforts can continue without further setbacks. SRM also highlights the immediate economic and operational burdens these delays impose on ranchers and rural communities.
Through these conversations with federal leaders, SRM remains committed to elevating the voices of rangeland professionals while working toward practical reforms that prioritize the restoration of field staff and the strengthening of rangeland management programs.
Read More about SRM’s Advocacy:
Congratulations Green Canyon High School!
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Twenty-one FFA chapters, made up of the top teams and individuals from four states, competed in the 16th Annual Western National Rangeland Career Development Event. FFA chapters from Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Washington traveled to Elko, Nevada, on November 4-5 to apply their knowledge and skills in rangeland management.
It seems like every year, the competition gets tougher, and 2024 was no different. Scores were higher, and just a few points separated the top teams and individuals. For the first time, a team from Utah emerged as the champions! Green Canyon FFA maintained a slim lead over the second-place team, Gooding, Idaho.
Green Canyon students also excelled in individual awards! Matt Rindlisbacher earned the highest honors in both Plant ID and Grazing, and Wilson was awarded Top Hand.
2023 Year in review Video
2023 Range Camp
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Range Camp was held in July at the SUU Mountain Center near Cedar City. Our 13 participants spent a week learning about the fundamentals of rangeland management, including ecological sites, stocking rates, grazing rotations, soils, plant identification, and monitoring techniques. They also heard about pursuing higher education and careers from a few of our professionals. Congratulations to Brooklin Goble and Sydney Bosh, who had the highest overall scores and will be provided an expense-paid trip to the international SRM meeting in Sparks, NV this January! Click here to read the full range camp report.
2023 Summer Tour
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The Utah Section SRM Summer Tour was a great success! This year we toured Anthro Mountain and the Book Cliffs. Special thanks to Terrell Thayne, our Northern Chapter President-elect, for organizing the tour, as well as all of our presenters!