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Seminars will cover Managing Rangelands in a Changing Environment
Kansas "Ranchers and rangeland managers are facing numerous challenges as they look to remain profitable and manage their grasslands," said Bill Sproul, Sedan-area rancher and chairman of the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition. "How to deal effectively with these challenges is the focus of two interactive seminars set for Feb. 22 at Camp Wood YMCA, Elmdale; and Feb. 23, Veterans Building, Coldwater." Managing Rangelands in a Changing Environment will feature Joel Brown, Ph.D., rangeland ecologist, Sproul said. Brown will walk attendees through a thought process that will allow them to evaluate, plan and deal more effectively with issues like invasive plant species, drought and grazing effects, water concerns, using prescribed fire, or wildlife habitat concerns. He will team up with David Kraft, Natural Resources Conservation Service state range conservationist, to try to set the stage for the group by helping them identify what specific issues they might be dealing with, then Brown will be able to illustrate how to build a planning and evaluation process to be able to begin working on that issue. "Brown will also provide the same information in a similar format at Coldwater on the 23rd," said Ted Alexander, Sun City-area rancher, vice-president of the Comanche Pool Prairie Resource Foundation, and KGLC Board member. "With the protracted drought in this area, we felt Dr. Brown might be able to provide additional insights and planning structure as we ranchers prepare for the coming grazing season, plus how best to move through this drought without damaging our grazing lands while trying to be profitable over the next few years." Brown is located at the Jornada Experimental Range in Las Cruces, N.M. He is assigned to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center. His current activities include research and development of land classification systems, carbon sequestration on rangelands, effects of climate change on rangeland ecosystems and grazing land ecology. Brown's professional experience includes six years as an NRCS field and area range conservationist in Kansas (Ellsworth, Syracuse, Anthony and Emporia), five years as California NRCS state rangeland specialist, six years as CSIRO (Australia) project leader and senior principal research scientist and four years as NRCS global change leader. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture/Botany from Fort Hays State University, a master's degree in Grazing Ecology from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Shrubland Ecology from Texas A&M University. The Feb. 22 seminar begins at 10 a.m. with check-in. Refreshments and lunch will be served on site. Registration is required along with $10 to hold your place. To register contact KGLC at 620-241-3636 or tdchristian@cox.net by Feb. 14. The Feb. 23 seminar begins at 5 p.m. with a $5 registration due by Feb. 15. The Coldwater seminar includes an evening meal and refreshments, too. Register with Mike Deewall, Comanche County Extension, at 620-582-2411 or mdeewall@ksu.edu. To learn more about KGLC and the seminars, go to www.kglc.org; look under Current Events and the Calendar for these events.
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