Achieving Rangeland Sustainability Through Total Resource Management

Achieving Rangeland Sustainability Through Total Resource Management

Summary

Objectives
1). Involve producers and appropriate resource managers in planning, implementing, and evaluating various phases of the object.
2). Develop training materials and program support resources including:
a. Develop a training manual, 12 fact sheets, 3 software packages, and a website as program support materials.
b. Assist in the development of an interactive Electronic Technology Transfer System to support the TRM program.
3) Develop and conduct 4 three-session workshops to train 80 County Extension Agents (CEAs) and NRCS Conservationists, and other Agency personnel over a two-year period.
4) Enlarge the thinking and change paradigms of participants from single components to “total” and/or ecosystem interactions in relation to ranch management decisions. Participants learn from both financial and biological perspectives (and from the rancher’s perspective) skills including problem-solving skills; risk management decision-making skills, analytical skills, and planning skills.
5) Participants will understand and apply this planning process to set goals and define actions to be taken in specific ranch situations.

Approach
The Total Resource Management Program is designed to train natural resource agency and other interested parties in the application of Strategic Management concepts to natural resource management. The program is being developed to enable personnel from natural resource assistance professions to apply these concepts in their daily assistance interactions with landowners/managers.

At this time, the Steering Committee has met and completed a brainstorming activity that resulted in a general topic outline for the curriculum to be presented in the program. The TRM Steering Committee continues to interact via electronic correspondence to refine details regarding the workshop curriculum and workshop format. The curriculum has been completed in draft form and is being prepared for dispersal to the Advisory Committee for review and comment. Four workshops have been scheduled for various sites across the state that will provide an opportunity for agency personnel to attend the training. Due to the size of the State of Texas, workshops have not been able to be placed in all regions, but the continuation of the program after the initial workshops will provide for training opportunities statewide.

The program is based upon the concepts of Strategic Management that are commonly implemented in the corporate business community. By adapting these concepts to natural resource management, we will provide a means for landowners/managers to set goals for their operations, plan actions at the strategic (20+ years), tactical (5 years) and operational (daily activities) levels of their operations.

As stated above, the workshops have been scheduled across the state and will be conducted in March/April and July/August of 2001. Originally, the workshops were proposed to be three day sessions, but at the suggestion of the Steering Committee this format was altered to have each workshop set with two two-day sessions conducted two to three weeks apart. This allows the incorporation of participant Ahomework@ that provides a valuable means of Ahands on@ training. The workshops are designed to bring forward management biases by each of the participating agencies through individual agency application to a particular scenario. From there, the workshop will go through the details of Total Resource Management and the application of strategic management in natural resources. Then participants from each agency will be grouped together to work through natural resource management scenarios applying the TRM approach and illustrating how the approach can help streamline and make more efficient natural resource management assistance. Upon completion of the four workshops, the Steering Committee through the TAEX Associate coordinating the program will evaluate the training process, materials and outcomes from the program.

Collaborators: