Range Management Meeting Range Management Meeting Brought Attendees from 10 Countries to Sparks
O
ver 1,400 people from 10 countries attended the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting in Sparks, Nevada, January 28 through February 3, 2018. In addition to the United States, attendees came from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal and Peru. The 6 day meeting included keynote speakers, presentations on international issues, workshops, tours, poster sessions, social events, a job fair and competitions for 430 university and college students.
John L. Mclain receives W.R. Chapline Land Steward Award
Two Nevada residents were among the award recipients at the meeting. John McLain, principal with Resource Concepts, Inc. (RCI) in Carson City, received the W. R. Chapline Land Steward Award. He was recognized for over 50 years of active membership in the SRM, having served as President, on the Board of Directors and on several committees. McLain is a well-known figure and motivated spokesperson in rangeland management. Legislators and agency leaders at the state and national levels readily seek his advice and expertise on rangeland policy and management knowing that he is a Certified Range Management Consultant, who is respected by his fellow range management professionals as well as those who oppose his positions. They know his reputation and his professional doctrines are based on science and that he always sets conservation of the resources as his primary goal.
Contact: Liz Warner (775) 721-0129 ewarner130@aol.com
The University of Nevada Range Club raised nearly $5,000 from their year-long saddle raffle. The Nevada Section of the Society for Range Management donated the materials to saddle maker Duane Coombs, renowned Nevada range steward, who donated his time to construct the beautiful saddle. The funds will be used to help students travel to future SRM Annual Meetings and to the “Science in the Sagebrush Steppe”, an educational collegiate range camp put on by the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center. The saddle winner was Annie Overlin, a graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno. Ranchers from throughout the west submitted brands to be displayed on the Young Professionals Conclave wild rags sold during the meeting. The YPC thanks the ranchers who submitted their brands that were displayed in Nevada’s silver and blue colors. The YPC sold 220 wild rags, a new record, and took orders for more, raising over $1,500 for their scholarship fund. The Nugget Casino Resort, the site of the annual meeting, did an outstanding job of hosting the meeting. “We can’t say enough about their responsiveness to our needs, including increasing the number of meals to be served because of our overwhelming attendance, handling our audio-visual needs, and basically providing whatever we needed,” said Mark Freese, meeting co-chair and biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The Nugget also donated over $17,000 to the Nevada SRM scholarship fund. “This money will help the Nevada Section provide scholarships for range students,” said Ryan Shane, meeting co-chair and forester with the Nevada Division of Forestry. Shane said the meeting was especially successful due to the support from sponsors and exhibitors. “We had so many exhibitors, we had to expand the exhibit area to fit them all in,” he said. 2018 sponsors were DOW AgroSciences, Resource Concepts, Inc., Bayer, Barrick, Newmont Elko Land and Livestock, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Association of Conservation Districts, US Forest Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Division of Forestry, Giant Rubber Water Tanks, Stantec Consulting Services, Texas Grazing Land Coalition, Y2 Consultants, Northern Rockies Engineering, Synergy Resource Solutions, Inc., Noble Research Institute, Smith and Mason Valley Conservation Districts and Nevada Rancher Magazine.
SRM President Larry Howery (right) presents Don Henderson (left) with the SRM Fellow Award.
Don Henderson of Carson City received the SRM Fellow Award. Henderson is a senior range specialist with RCI and former director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA). He received the award for his work establishing the first range management program for NDA, providing technical assistance to the Governor’s Sage Grouse Committee, and his assistance to the Nevada Rangeland Monitoring Handbook Committee. Numerous other service and competition awards were presented. More information is available on the SRM website at rangelands.org. 18 MAY / JUNE 2018
Exhibitors included Granite Seed and Erosion Control, Easy Fence, LLC., USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Truax Company, Inc., Stevenson Intermountain Seed, Inc., USDA ARS Jornada, The Chico Research Foundation, Utah State University, Rangeland Partnership, USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, US Geological Survey, USDA Northern Plains Climate Club, Alligare, LLC., University of Idaho Rangeland Center, AG IDEA, National Grazing Lands Coalition, Ag-Renewal, Inc., US Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Basin Fire Science Exchange, Chadron State College, Humboldt University Range and Soils Club, Utah State University Range Club, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Idaho Range Club, Southern Utah University Range Club. University of Nevada, Reno Range Club, New Mexico State University Range Club, 2019 SRM Annual Meeting, Desert Studio, Low Stress Stockmanship, Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers, University of Wyoming Range Club, Point Blue Conservation Science, Great Basin Institute, Curtis & Curtis, Inc., Pawnee Buttes Seed, Inc., Juniper Systems, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, Bayer Environmental Science, International Grassland/Rangeland Congress, USDA ARS Great Basin Rangelands Research, 2020 SRM Annual Meeting, SNF, Inc., Southern Rockies Fire Science Network, and Rainier Seeds, Inc. The next SRM annual meeting will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., Feb. 10-14, 2019. Information on the 2018 meeting can be found on the SRM website at rangelands.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SRMAnnualMtg2018. Information on the Nevada Section SRM can be found at nevada.rangelands.org.
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