Final Report for EW06-018
Project Information
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Methods
In total, 11 filming sessions took place in a variety of locations including SageSTEP field sites in Utah and Nevada, residences of two Utah ranchers, and the Utah State University campus from September 2006 to February 2008. Additional footage was gathered from individuals and organizations in Utah and Oregon. The majority of editing was done in Fall 2007, and a draft version of the DVD feature was produced in November 2007 for review at an annual meeting of the SageSTEP research team. Review of the draft feature prompted the need for the final filming session, which took place in February 2008. Then additional editing was done and the feature was reviewed for final changes.
Bonus tracks were created to include useful information that could not be part of the feature. Artwork, including DVD menus and covers for the DVD case and disc, were created to make the finished product attractive, organized, and informative. The booklet was created to correspond with the other materials. It includes an introduction to the project, description of the intended audience, instructions on how to most effectively use the disc contents, and information about the SageSTEP study. Upon completion, 1000 copies of the disc and booklet were produced. Distribution began in November 2008. The feature portion of the DVD was streamed for viewing online and can be found by clicking on the link indicated on the SageSTEP website at http://www.sagestep.org/pubs/DVD.html.
Outreach and Publications
The final publication for this product can be cited as follows:
Restoring Sagebrush Rangelands in the Great Basin: An Introduction to Alternative Land Management Strategies. DVD. Utah State University and the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP), 2008.
One thousand copies of this product were produced in November 2008, and to date (December 2008), approximately 360 have been distributed. Distribution will continue throughout 2009 until we run out of copies. The DVD is being promoted in the SageSTEP newsletter, and on the SageSTEP and USU extension websites. Additionally, the DVD will be presented and/or distributed at various meetings, including the following:
• Outreach to land managers – Copies will be made available to public and private land managers from Idaho and Nevada at a June 2009 SageSTEP workshop in Elko, Nevada.
• Utah Partners for Conservation and Development 2009 Annual Meeting
• The DVD was presented to members of the Idaho Section, Society for Range Management, at its annual meeting in Boise Jan. 16, 2009.
• Wildfire and Invasive Plants in American Deserts meeting in Reno, Nev., Dec. 9-11, 2008
• Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, N.M., February 8-12, 2009
• Other meetings and workshops as opportunities become available
The outreach plan submitted to the USDA/USDI Joint Fire Science Program for the SageSTEP project includes conducting periodic workshops to transfer current information and results to agency and university personnel and other interested stakeholders and a national conference to share research results. The DVD produced by this project will be used during these meetings. In order to reach agricultural professionals who do not attend these meetings, the DVD will be distributed to state and district agency offices and extension offices. The DVD will also be marketed on the SageSTEP website, during professional meeting presentations, on poster displays, and in periodic newsletters in an effort to reach additional interested professionals.
Outcomes
Short-term: The DVD will increase knowledge and awareness of ways to maintain or improve Great Basin rangelands among agency personnel and other agricultural professionals. This project will reduce risk and uncertainty in choosing land management treatments for Great Basin rangelands.
Medium-term: This project will increase the ability for the target audience to provide livestock producers with information to improve Great Basin rangelands. The target audience will have better skills to work with livestock producers to implement management treatments to maintain or improve the forage base for livestock while improving overall ecosystem health.
Long-term: The target audience will share information with livestock producers and develop plans to improve Great Basin rangelands.