Noxious Weed Control Through Multi-Species Grazing

2002 Annual Report for EW01-006

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2001: $64,501.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2003
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $29,149.00
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Donald D. Nelson
Washington State University

Noxious Weed Control Through Multi-Species Grazing

Summary

The first year of this project focused on building capacity in, and relationships among, the participants through four workshops: (1) Holistic Decision-Making (2/26-28/02), (2) Land EKG/Monitoring (split into two 2-day sessions; 5/13-15/02 and 5/16-18/02), (3) Biological Planning/Planned Grazing/ Multi-Species Grazing (8/13-15/02) and (4) Low Cost Cow-Calf Production and Body Condition Scoring of Cows (11/12-15/02). Participants were encouraged to form management/support groups and to initiate planning for on-the-ground projects involving planned grazing and/or multi-species grazing as a tool in the control of invasive plants. These projects are to be implemented during Year 2 of this project. Also established an electronic listerve for use by the project participants.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Thirty participants will understand principles introduced in a prescribed workshop series by November 30, 2002.

2. A minimum of 6 management/support groups made up of participants and livestock graziers (6-12 people per group) will be formed by November 30, 2002.

3. A minimum of 6 on-the-ground projects utilizing planned grazing and/or multi-species grazing to control noxious weeds will be designed and initiated by June 30, 2003.

4. A regional conference will be held in November 2003 to assess the impacts of this project and to extend the lessons learned to others.

5. A video documenting the project’s activities and impacts will be produced.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Accomplishments during Year 1 of this project include:
1. Conducted four workshops for project participants: (1) Holistic Decision-Making (2/26-28/02), (2) Land EKG/Monitoring (split into two 2-day sessions; 5/13-15/02 and 5/16-18/02), (3) Biological Planning/Planned Grazing/Multi-Species Grazing (8/13-15/02) and (4) Low Cost Cow-Calf Production and Body Condition Scoring of Cows (11/12-15/02).

2. Encouraged project participants to form management/support groups for the purpose of planning and designing on-the-ground projects involving planned grazing and/or multi-species grazing. These projects are to be implemented during Year 2 of this project.

3. Established an electronic listserve for the project participants to discuss issues of interest and to share information.

Work to be completed in Year 2 of this project includes (i.e., milestones):
1. Participants are to complete the planning and design phase and initiate 6 on-the-ground projects involving planned grazing and/or multi-species grazing by June 30, 2003.

2. Keep participant listserve active to facilitate collaborative learning and networking.

3. Hold regional conference in November 2003 to assess the impacts of this project and to extend the lessons learned to others.

4. Complete video documenting the project’s activities and impacts.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The anticipated benefits of this project to livestock producers in the Western region include:
1. Be able to demonstrate that planned grazing and/or multi-species grazing can be used as one of the tools in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to control invasive plants (also know as noxious weeds).

2. Demonstrate that the use of multi-species grazing (i.e., cattle, sheep and goats) as a tool in the control of invasive plants and fuel load reduction can actually generate revenue by converting an unwanted plant into a marketable product (i.e., meat).

3. Demonstrate that multi-species grazing can not only be used as a tool in the control of invasive plants, but that it can reduce the amount of herbicides used for this purpose, it can improve the health of rangeland and wildlife habitat by increasing biodiversity and it can convert invasive plants to animal gain that can be sold (i.e., turn a liability into an asset).

4. Demonstrate to the public that planned livestock grazing is a beneficial tool in creating a healthy ecosystem. The moral being that no tool is inherently bad, it all depends on what the goal is and how the tool is applied.

5. Demonstrate a non-chemical method to control invasive weeds and/or fuel loads in areas where herbicides cannot, or should not, be used (i.e., near water bodies, residential areas, etc.).

Collaborators:

Cynthia Huesby

jchuesby@bmi.net
Livestock producer
Thundering Hooves
1511 Fredrickson Rd.
Touchet, WA 99360
Office Phone: 5095292218
Matt Voile

Supervisor
Umatilla County Weed Control
3920 Westgate
Pendleton, OR 97801
Office Phone: 5412785462
Marty Hudson

martyh@co.klicitat.wa.us
Coordinator
Klicitat County Noxious Weed Control Board
228 W. Main St., MS-CH-23
Goldendale, WA 98620
Office Phone: 5097735810
Demetrio Vasquez

elodre@aol.com
Heart surgeon & cattle rancher (Argentina & Brazil
P.O. Box 8581
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Office Phone: 8582595798
Mark Heitstuman

heitstuman@wsu.edu
Chair, Asotin County Cooperative Extension
Washington State University Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 9
Asotin, WA 99402
Office Phone: 5097585147
Maurice Robinette

mlr@icehouse.net
Certified Holistic Mgmt. Educator & cow-calf prod.
Solar$
s. 16102 Wolfe Rd.
Cheney, WA 99004
Office Phone: 5092994942
Roger Ingram

rsingram@ucdavis.edu
Farm Advisor, Livestock and Natural Resources
University of California Cooperative Extension
11477 E. Ave.
Auburn, CA 95603
Office Phone: 5308897385
Cheryl Cosner

rcosner@gorge.net
Co-Owner
Cosner Star Livestock
153 Stringstreet Rd.
Centerville, WA 98613
Office Phone: 5097735596
Sarah Maki-Smith

smithsm@wsu.edu
Area Extension Educator, Livestock
Washington State University Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 37, Courthouse
Ephrata, WA 98823-0037
Office Phone: 5097542011
Dan Carver

jdcarver@centurytel.net
Rancher
Imperial Stock Ranch
HCR 71, Box 40
Maupin, OR 97037
Office Phone: 5413952507
Craig Madsen

shepherd@healinghooves.com
Owner, contract grazing and range mgmt. consultant
Healing Hooves, LLC
P.O. Box 148
Edwall, WA 99008
Office Phone: 5092362451
Michael Carpinelli

michael.carpinelli@oregonstate.orst
Rangeland Scientist
USDA/ARS
67826-A, Hwy. 205
Burns, OR 97720
Office Phone: 5415738911
Jim Long

jlong@mcsi.net
NUView Evaluation
895 Sable Drive
Roseburg, OR 97470
Office Phone: 5416733713
Todd Davis

todd@co.kittitas.wa.us
Kittas County Noxious Weed Control Board
507 North Nanum St., Rm. 10
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Office Phone: 5099627007
Donald Nelson

nelsond@wsu.edu
Extension Beef Specialist
WSU Coop. Ext. & Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources
P.O. Box 646310
Pullman, WA 99164-6310
Office Phone: 5093352922
Steve Crofoot

crofootranch@yahoo.com
Rancher/BLM Recreational Specialist
USDI/Bureau of Land Management
128 Sandy Creek Rd.
Salmon, ID 83467
Office Phone: 2087562772
Jeff Nauman

jnauman@idl.state.id.us
Lands Coordinator
Idaho Department of Lands
10230 Hwy. 12
Orofino, ID 83544
Office Phone: 2084764587
Kenneth Crane

kcrane@agri.state.id.us
Range Management Specialist
Idaho Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 7249
Boise, ID 83707
Office Phone: 2083328566
Sandra Matheson

smm1@gte.net
Certified Holistic Mgmt. Educator & veterinarian
Solar$
228 E. Smith Rd.
Bellinghan, WA 98226
Office Phone: 3603987866
Robert Hales

rhales@agri.state.id.us
Range Management Specialist
Idaho Department of Agriculture
3095 East Sunnyside Rd.
Ammon, ID 83406
Office Phone: 2085891885
Mark Pratt

pratmark@isu.edu
Farm Business Mgmt. Instructor & cow-calf producer
Idaho State University
279 N 400 E
Blackfoot, ID 83221
Office Phone: 2087856597
Joann Hutton

johutton@gorge.net
Rancher
P.O. Box 50
Glenwood, WA 98619
Office Phone: 5093643668
Joe Yenish

yenish@wsu.edu
Extension Weed Specialist
Washington State University
P.O. Box 646420
Pullman, WA 99164-6420
Office Phone: 5093352961
Kevin Hupp

khupp@co.lincoln.ws.us
Coordinator
Lincoln County Noxious Weed Control Board
P.O. Box 241
Davenport, WA 99122
Office Phone: 5097253646
Tim Westfall

tim_westfall@blm.gov
Rangeland Management Specialist
USDI/BLM
3040 Biddle Rd.
Medford, OR 97504
Office Phone: 5416182226
Joel Huesby

jchuesby@bmi.net
Livestock producer
Thundering Hooves
1511 Fredrickson Rd.
Touchet, WA 99360
Mark Bonner

mbonner@blm.gov
Rangeland Management Specialist
USDI/Bureau of Land Management
50 Hwy. 93 South
Salmon, ID 83467
Office Phone: 2087565414
Tim Kunka

echoridge@plic.com
Range Management Specialist; cow-calf producer
1072B Williams Lake Rd.
Colville, WA 99126
Office Phone: 5096848978
Howard Asmussen

hasmuss@nvinet.com
President
Loomis Cattle Co.
20 Woodard Rd.
Loomis, WA 98827
Office Phone: 5092234808
Darrell Kilgore

kilgored@wsu.edu
Video/Satellite Communications Specialist
Washington State University
P.O. Box 646244
Pullman, WA 99164-6244
Office Phone: 5093359211
Rob Acheson

Cow-calf producer
3220 Riverbottom Rd.
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Office Phone: 5099252105
Jay Jenkins

jay_jenkins@wsu.edu
Chair, Okanogan County Cooperative Extension
Washington State University Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 391
Okanogan, WA 98840
Office Phone: 5094227245
Robert Cosner

rcosner@gorge.net
Co-Owner
Cosner Star Livestock
153 Stringstreet Rd.
Centerville, WA 98613
Office Phone: 5097735596
Andrea Mann

andrea.mann@wa.usda.gov
Wetlands Specialist
USDA/NRCS
301 Yakima St., Rm. 307, Federal Bldg.
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Office Phone: 5096640244
Dave Ellis

jlellis@salmoninternet.com
Cow-calf producer
Beaverhead Peaks Ranch, LLC
Box 242
Carmen, ID 83462
Office Phone: 2087566972
An Peischel

kiko@inreach.com
Owner
Goats Unlimited
P.O. Box 29
Rackerby, CA 95972
Office Phone: 5306791420
Website: http://home.inreach.com/kiko/
Peter Donovan

pdonovan@orednet.org
501 South St.
Enterprise, OR 97828
Office Phone: 5414266490
Charley Orchard

corchard@montana.net
Owner
Land EKG, Inc.
6085 Browning Lane
Bozeman, MT 59718
Office Phone: 8884505354
Dick Diven

rhdiven@aol.com
Owner
Agri-Concepts, Inc.
12850 N. Bandanna Way
Tucson, AZ 85737-8906
Office Phone: 8005750864
Website: http://.owcostcowcalf.com
Doug Warnock

warnockd@elltel.net
Certified Holistic Management Educator
Solar $
151 Cedar Cove Rd.
Ellensburg, WA 98926-9706
Office Phone: 5099251070