Western Digest – March 2019

News and opportunities on working lands, water and wildlife 

Sieben Livestock Co., MT. Photo: Erika Peterman.

Happy spring! Articles in this issue range from a new WLA publication focused conservation economics on western working lands to a closer look at the 2018 Farm Bill and from sustaining migration corridors to a Colorado River deal to harnessing technology to improve conservation effectiveness. Enjoy!

This member monthly includes pertinent working lands, water and wildlife news and opportunities from around the West. If you have any information you think would be valuable for this digest, please send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!

Hallie Mahowald
Stewardship Services Director

Working Lands Economics

On the Range

• Preserving a Ranching Way of Life: This article highlights ranchers in Colorado who, even as their roles evolve with modern circumstances, are finding enterprising ways to preserve the lifestyle and livelihood they love, an essential part of the American West: Spoke and Blossom.
• Cows are Not Killing the Climate: As the scale and impacts of climate change become increasingly alarming, meat is a popular target for action. A key claim holds that globally, meat production generates more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector. However, the author of this article argues that this claim is demonstrably wrong and that its persistence has led to false assumptions about the linkage between meat and climate change: The Conversation.
• Move to Year-round Grazing: Are you interested in moving to year-round grazing, but not sure where to start? Dean Schneider describes the process of making the switch at his place in Oklahoma: OnPasture.
• Testing a Virtual Cattle Fence: Much like an invisible dog fence can keep canines corralled in the yard, Leo Barthelmess, a WLA member and northern Montana cattle rancher, is looking forward to experimenting with virtual fences for managing cattle. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife program was recently awarded a $70,000 grant to help fund a demonstration project for the virtual fencing on Barthelmess’ ranch: Billings Gazette.
• Young Farmers and Ranchers: What are young farmers and ranchers thinking about?  Finances, stress and perception top the list of problems: Western Farmer-Stockman.

Wildlife

• Working Lands Sustain Migration: A new paper entitled ‘Beyond protected areas: Private lands and public policy anchor intact pathways for multi-species wildlife migration’ highlights the importance of private and public working lands in sustaining wildlife migration in the Northern Great Plains: Conservation Biology.
• Gray Wolf De-listing Proposal “Soon”: In a recent statement, a USFWS spokesperson said acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt had announced that the service “will soon propose a rule to delist the gray wolf in the lower 48 states and return management of the species back to the states and tribes”: AgriPulse.
• BLM Approves Sage Grouse Plan Amendments: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized amendments to Obama-era management plans for sage grouse habitat in the West to better align federal plans with state plans to conserve the species: Capital Press.
• CA Landowners Guide for Monarch Habitat Restoration: A new resource is now available for landowners in California who are interested in creating and restoring monarch butterfly habitat: Environmental Defense Fund.
• Can Cities Save Pollinators? Many pollinator insect species like bees, butterflies, and hoverflies are on the decline, due in large part to habitat destruction driven by conversion of land and urbanization. But, new research finds that urban areas could play a key role in conserving pollinator communities: Pacific Standard.

Water

• States Sign Deal to Conserve Colorado River: Seven Western states have agreed on a plan to manage the Colorado River amid a 19-year drought, voluntarily cutting their water use to prevent the federal government from imposing a mandatory squeeze on the supply: The New York Times.
• Study Shows Changes in Ogallala Aquifer: According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4), producers are extracting water faster than it is being replenished, which means that parts of the Ogallala Aquifer should be considered a nonrenewable resource: WeatherNation.
• Getting to the Core of Underwater Soil: Soils all over the Earth’s surface are rigorously tested and managed. But what about soils that are down in the murky depths? Although not traditional soils, underwater soils have value and function: EurekAlert!
• ‘Dry Farming’: ‘Dry farmers’ in California are growing crops without irrigation. While unfamiliar to many consumers, dry farming is an age-old practice that entails carefully managing soils to lock winter rainfall into the top layers until it’s time to begin growing crops during the spring and summer: The Mercury News.

Forest & Fire

• California’s Drought Over But Forests are Dying: According to the ecologists who compiled this year’s Forest Health survey, the end state-wide of California’s drought is expected to be a breeding ground for the fungus responsible for Sudden Oak Death: ABC10.
• Study Aims to Improve Wildfire Modeling: An Oregon State University project backed by more than $2 million in federal money could help firefighters better predict how wildfires behave in central Oregon and beyond. A team from OSU’s College of Engineering was chosen by the Department of Defense to spearhead a four-year research project to determine what conditions affect the way different plants and shrubs burn: The Bend Bulletin.
• Conservation District Improves Colorado’s Forests: Colorado’s Big Thompson Conservation District is using a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the NRCS to grow its Healthy Forest Initiative program with new staff and new projects: NACD.
• CA Awards $63M to Promote Healthy Forests: The grant-funded projects include thinning dense and pest-impacted forests; using prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuel loads; and planting trees in forests diminished by fire, drought, insects and disease: NBC Bay Area.
• Community Forest Program: The U.S. Forest Service’s Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program) is a a program for communities and private landowners designed to manage forested private property for public access and the good of the community: National Association of Conservation Districts.

• Bernhardt Signs Order Promoting Recreation, Access: Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed a secretarial order requiring the BLM to consider public access for outdoor recreational activities like hunting and fishing before deciding whether a federal parcel should be sold or exchanged. Specifically, Secretarial Order 3373 directs BLM to make those considerations part of the process when revising or amending resource management plans: E&E News.
• Closer Look at 2018 Farm Bill: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) digs deep into some of the programs and policies of the 2018 Farm Bill including the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), implications for future conservation title funding and more: NSAC.
• Clean Water Act: The Supreme Court is taking up another far-reaching debate over the scope of the Clean Water Act. The justices this morning agreed to hear County of Maui, Hawaii v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund, a case involving whether the law covers pollution that moves through groundwater before reaching a federal waterway: E&E News.
• NM Wildlife Corridors Bill Passes: New Mexico Senate Bill 228 authorizes the Department of Game and Fish and the Department of Transportation to work together to create a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and a Prioritized Wildlife Corridors Project List. The departments’ work would specifically look at barriers to wildlife migration and make recommendations to eliminate those barriers in ways that protect animal and human safety: The Grant County Beat.
• Senate Confirms Wheeler to Lead EPA: The Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a 52-47 mostly party-line vote: The Hill.

Tools & Resources

• Harnessing Technology to Improve Conservation Effectiveness: NRCS’ Working Lands for Wildlife organized a symposium at the 2019 Society for Range Management conference called “Harnessing Technology to Improve Conservation Effectiveness on Western Working Lands”. Nine different presentations, covering innovative new technologies that land managers and producers can use to improve their conservation outcomes, were recorded and are now available through SGI’s website and YouTube page.
• The Power of Real Assets from US Trust: Real assets are an essential element in a well-managed investment portfolio. This asset class—which includes agriculture, timberland, commercial real estate and energy—can provide the opportunity for long-term total returns, inflation protection, and the ability to offset the volatility of equity and fixed-income investments. Learn more from US Trust.
• Colorado Crisis Services for Ag Producers: When a farmer and rancher is facing a financial crisis, it can create an emotional toll on every aspect of life. The agricultural community comes together to help our neighbors in a time of need and that is what this effort is all about: pulling together to help others through this stressful time. We encourage you to reach out to the Colorado Crisis Services if you, or someone you love, is struggling: Colorado Department of Agriculture.
• WY Native Bee Field Guide: A native bee field guide for Wyoming and surrounding states is hot off the press. The guide features all the bee genera and each genus has full color photos, descriptions, plant associations, nesting, lifestyle and key features for identification: University of Wyoming.

 Opportunities

Funding

• Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund: The purpose of the Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund is to help accelerate the pace and effective practice of place-based, collaborative landscape conservation across the United States. The Fund specifically seeks to build critical capacity and forward momentum in landscape conservation partnerships by supporting the key building block activities and collaborative processes that move partnerships forward. The fund will provide $335,000 in fudning through competitive grants in 2019. Pre-proposals are due April 26, 2019. Read the Request for Proposals here.
• CO Watershed Restoration Program: Are you interested in balancing water management, recreation and river health needs? River Network can help you get there.  Selected coalitions can receive up to $8,000 for assistance to convene stakeholders, scope your project and write grant applications for funding. Coalitions led by agricultural stakeholders are eligible for additional funding. Information on assistance to scope and submit a grant is available here. Applications are due May 15, 2019. If you are interested in learning more or participating, please contact John Rizza, WLA’s Colorado Field Organizer.
• Organic Research and Extension Initiative: The Organic Research and Extension Initative (OREI) has this week opened applications for FY 2019 and FY 2020 project proposals. OREI funds research, education, and extension projects that improve and advance organic agriculture – including projects that help advance soil health. For FY 2019 applications, the deadline to apply is May 2, 2019: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
• Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP): NRCS plans to invest $450 million this year in conservation easements through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). This program helps private landowners, tribes, land trusts and other groups wanting to restore and protect critical wetlands and protect agricultural lands and grasslands. NRCS accepts ACEP applications year-round, but applications are ranked and funded by enrollment period, which have application deadlines set by the states: USDA NRCS.
• CO AgDRIP: The Agricultural Data Reporting Incentive Program (AgDRIP) compensates agricultural producers that report their water use on a monthly basis during the growing season. Invitations to eligible irrigated landowners were sent in mid-February. Currently this program is provided to producers in Colorado and Georgia. If you are interested in participating in the 2019 season, more information is available here.

Employment

Events & Webinars

• April 1-3: After the Flames Workshop and Conference in Denver, Colorado.
• April 2-4: Introduction to Conflict Resolution & Managing Change with Jeff Goebel at the Tome Dominguez Community Center in Los Lunas, New Mexico.
• April 3-4: Western Governors’ Association Working Lands Roundtable in Denver, Colorado.
• April 3-5: The Grassfed Exchange Conference in Santa Rosa, California.
• April 5-6: Strategic Planning for Ranches hosted by the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management in Kingsville, Texas.
• April 11-12: 2019 Pacific Northwest Forest Collaborative Workshop in Hoodriver, Oregon.
• April 12: Cultivating Resiliency for Women in Agriculture online seminar – Putting it All Together
• April 18-19: AgriSummit 2019 in Salida, Colorado
• April 23: Energy, Salmon, Agriculture and Community: Can We Come Together? at Boise State University, Idaho.
• April 24: Colorado Coalition to Enhance Working Lands in Poncha Springs, Colorado.
• April 29 – May 3: 6th International Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The conference theme is “Fuels of Today–Fire Behavior of Tomorrow,” and will be held simultaneously in Albuquerque, Sydney (Australia) and Marseille (France).
• April 30 – May 1: Shared Stewardship: Building a Common Vision for Idaho in Boise, Idaho.
• May 4: Wildlife Community Preparedness Day
• May 16-17: Genetic Technology in Beef Cattle Lectureship in Centennial, Colorado.
• May 28-31: 13th Biennial Deer and Elk Workshop in Marfa, Texas.

Membership

The Western Landowners Alliance advances policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes and native species.

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