2015
November 1, 2015
Colleagues and Clients:
I think you will be interested in the following events and suggestions related to rangeland conservation and grazing management:
1. California-Pacific Section, Society for Range Management, Fall Meeting, November 12, 2016, Susanville, CA
This meeting and field tour will focus on rangeland management issues in Northeastern California and the Great Basin, including fire, wild horses and burros, sage grouse, drought, and restoration. It will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2015 9:00am – 9:00pm at the Susanville Elk’s Lodge, 400 Main St, Susanville, CA. Pre-register through Allen Press online at http://srm.allenpress.com/SRM/ (click on “Section Meetings” and choose Cal Pac). Or contact Edie Jacobsen by email at vitus7@att.net or call 619- 322-4404.
2. California Rangeland Conservation Coalition, 11th Annual Summit, January 21-22, 2016, Stockton, CA
Save the date… The 2016 meeting will focus on “Wildfire and Rangeland Management – Mediating Impacts to Conservation and Ranching.” Registration is not yet available.
3. Bay Area Open Space Council, January Gathering, January 28, 2016, Berkeley, CA
Save the date… This meeting will focus on “Grazing and Conservation, Part II: Cooperating with Ranchers.” Registration is not yet available.
4. The Other Weather Extreme—Prepared for an El Nino Winter?
With expectations of intense rainfall events, ground saturation, trees falling, flooding, and erosion, how can ranch and conservation lands managers prepare? Here are some things to consider as you plan for the coming season—
- Pollutants, debris, and streamside fencing may be carried with flood waters.
- Expect erosion at vulnerable points and a lot of runoff.
- Areas burned by wildfire are at higher risk for erosion.
- Roads and bridges might be washed out, preventing access.
- How are your livestock vulnerable (to flooding or just excessive standing water) and where on your land could they be moved and protected?
- How is your grazing infrastructure, including water supplies, vulnerable?
- What are your legal responsibilities and options if you or someone upstream has diverted runoff?
- How are special habitats vulnerable and how can you protect them?
- Snakes and predators might be concentrated where you don’t expect them
And here are some steps to consider in your preparation—
- Determine your priorities for action and identify places of special vulnerability.
- Register and ID your livestock.
- Plan monitoring (with photos) from safe vantage points and key places of vulnerability, both during and after storms.
- Prepare digital maps and databases of vulnerable places and monitoring stations with notes and instructions, for mobile access (using apps e.g. PDFMaps, Google Earth, and ESRI Collector).
- Prepare communications plans--contact lists, response protocols, and safety considerations, for responding to problems.
August 19, 2015
Colleagues and Clients:
I think you will be interested in the following events and suggestions related to rangeland conservation and grazing management:
1. Central Coast Rangeland Coalition, Special Meeting Sept 29, 9:30am – 12:00noon, on Livestock and Recreation Interactions, Santa Clara, CA
A special meeting of the CCRC, “Keeping Cattle and People at Home on the Range: Positive Livestock and Recreation Interactions,” will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 9:30am – 12:00noon at the County of Santa Clara Service Center Auditorium, 1555 Berger Drive, Santa Clara, CA.
Kristina Wolf will present her literature review and extensive interview data, followed by discussion and interactive learning. Participants will help by providing her information to use in her research project, which will be available later this year as a written report. This is the CCRC's 5th Rancher, Manager, and Scientist Forum on Rangeland Conservation, which was funded by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Register at -- http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/training/show_train_detail.php?TRAIN_ID=KeK6VVR
2. Central Coast Rangeland Coalition, Regular Meeting Oct 15, 8:45am – 4:30pm, on Ranching and Water Quality, Hollister, CA
The fall meeting of the CCRC will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2015, 8:45am – 4:30pm at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 649 San Benito St., Hollister, CA. The focus is “Where Grazing and Regulations Meet: Working Together for Ranching and Water Quality.”
This meeting will provide an opportunity for ranchers, regulators, scientists, and others to develop a more nuanced understanding of each other’s perspectives and of the possibilities to manage water on rangelands.
Pre-register here -- http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/training/show_train_detail.php?TRAIN_ID=Wh5RYAG
3. California-Pacific Section, Society for Range Management, Fall Meeting, Nov 12-13, Susanville, CA
Save the date… Other than a focus on sage grouse and wild horses, meeting details have not been released. And registration is not yet available.
See you there… Thank you, Larry
February 25, 2015
Colleagues and Clients:
I think you will be interested in the following news about upcoming events and a new UC Coop Extension Advisor:
1. 3rd Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium, March 3-4, 2015, UC Davis Conference Center
This year's symposium will focus on two topics at the intersection of science, policy and management on California’s working rangelands–water quality and sustainable public lands grazing. Pete Van Hoorn and Larry Ford will present a poster “A Framework for Grazing Management Planning to Benefit Listed Species.” Laurel Marcus and Larry Ford will present a poster, “The Fish Friendly Ranching Certification Program: A Collaborative Approach to Comprehensive Ranch Planning and Water Quality Improvement.” Find information and register at— http://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/main/symposium_RSS_2015.html
2. Golden Gate Audubon Society Speaker Series, March 19, 2015, Berkeley, CA
The Golden Gate Audubon Society’s Speaker Series is featuring Larry Ford and Michele Hammond on March 19, 2015 at 7:00pm with a presentation, "Conservation of California Grassland Birds." The venue is the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda (between Solano and Marin) in Berkeley. A $5 donation is requested for non-members. Find information at— http://goldengateaudubon.org/education/speaker-series/
3. Devii Rao is Area Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties
Devii Rao, MS, CRM, just joined UC Coop Extension as the Area Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. She formerly worked as a consultant with Larry Ford, and most recently was the Rangeland Management Specialist for Point Reyes National Seashore. Her phone number is 831-637-5346, ext.14, and her email address is rdeviirao@gmail.com .
Thank you, Larry