Striking a Balance: Rangeland Evaluation and Monitoring in the 4-Corners Region

Striking a Balance: Rangeland Evaluation and Monitoring in the 4-Corners Region

Summary

A. Project Summary

The monitoring Project grant was implemented on July 1, 2002. It was to be completed by December 31, 2003; however, we were granted the first no-cost extension with the expectation that the project would be completed by December 2004. Our second request for a no-cost extension was granted with a completion date of December 31, 2005.

Our accomplishment to date include: completion of four (4) walkabouts, wrote, compile, edit, and layout and publish a twenty-four (24) page range monitoring handbook entitled “The Land Monitoring Handbook.” Five (5) Handbooks were printed and another three thousand (3,000) copies are pending publication at Cortez Copy & Print Shop, in Cortez, Colorado.

Whole New Concept, LLC, Cindy Dvergsten wrote “The Land Monitoring Handbook.” Cindy Dvergsten played a major role as an advisor, trainer, facilitator, and technical field assistance while we performed the walkabouts. In addition, she has agreed to produce an educational video specific to land monitoring method, practices, and demonstrate real life situations where land monitoring is used and has illustrated and proven profitable returns on those ranches that applied these schemes.

The production of the educational video and land monitoring handbook is currently being integrated into Navajo Nation Department of Agriculture program priority, its extension education program, to focus on staff training in order to plan for more walkabouts conducted with local community ranchers, farmers, and educational Institutions. The Department is currently promoting “Navajo Beef” concept; the concept is to produce quality beef and sheep to market labeled “Navajo Beef/Sheep.” Therefore, it is critical that staff learned how to manage ranches that are sound and profitable and sustain as enterprises.

Objectives/Performance Targets

A. Objectives

1. Learn how to evaluate, monitor, and record the health of the rangelands and adjacent woodlands so that we can, in turn, teach others how to do the same.

Secondary Objective—Show the value of rangeland “walkabouts” as a primary monitoring and evaluation tool at the sites selected by collaborators.

Secondary Objective—Show the value of keeping a photographic record of our observations.

2. Create a network of individuals and organizations that transcends the complicated political and philosophical boundaries of the 4 Corners region so that as professionals we can find each other and so that the grassroots folks can find us.

Optional Secondary Objects—Develop website on which to place our handbook / range conservation training program and links to our network (if time permits)

Accomplishments/Milestones

Our accomplishment to date include: completion of four (4) walkabouts, wrote, compile, edit, and layout and publish a twenty-four (24) page range monitoring handbook entitled “The Land Monitoring Handbook”. Five (5) Handbooks were printed and another three thousand (3,000) copies are pending publication at Cortez Copy & Print Shop, in Cortez, Colorado.

Whole New Concept, LLC, Cindy Dvergsten wrote “The Land Monitoring Handbook.” Cindy Dvergsten played a major role as an advisor, trainer, facilitator, and technical field assistance while we performed the walkabouts. In addition, she has agreed to produce an educational video specific to land monitoring method, practices, and demonstrate real life situations where land monitoring is used and has illustrated and proven profitable returns on those ranches that applied these schemes.

The production of the educational video and land monitoring handbook is currently being integrated into Navajo Nation Department of Agriculture program priority, its extension education program, to focus on staff training in order to plan for more walkabouts conducted with local community ranchers, farmers, and educational Institutions. The Department is currently promoting “Navajo Beef” concept; the concept is to produce quality beef and sheep to market labeled “Navajo Beef / Sheep.” Therefore, it is critical that staff learned how to manage ranches that are sound and profitable and sustain as enterprises.

A. Evaluation

This grant has brought out a different type of monitoring of land that is based on alternative range management verse the conventional scientific applications found in the Bureau of Indian Affairs land management system, i.e. rigid and set up by outdate science. Another good example might be the USDA Cooperative Extension Services method of range management scheme that does not genuinely bring adequate results. We found with the WSARE range monitoring application different, looking, listening, and hands-on activity to determine the health of land. The hands-on approach to instruction on land monitoring is fun, meaningful, and participatory by learners who tend to be genuinely interested “listening” to the land, eager to ask questions without feeling inadequate. We, on the other hand, are eager to apply the hands-on, observation style, and a more holistic approach to land management using this land monitoring we’ve discovered. This method of holistic land management is what our forefathers’ livestock men have used while tending to their livestock, farming as an approach to natural resources utilization. We, staff with the Department of Agriculture, are also excited to combine existing knowledge of Navajo ranchers to bring about successful results. It is also the mission of the Department of Agriculture to approach ranching operation to return profits with flexible method.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

A. Impacts and Contribution / Outcomes

The FY 05 scope of work remains much the same as originally planned. Our request for a no-cost extension is granted bringing our deadline to December 31, 2005. The budget has been revised to accommodate the activities to publish “The Land Monitoring Handbook.”

1. Navajo Nation department of Agriculture continue to oversee the entire project.
2. Financial administration of the grant will be overseen by Navajo RC&D. Supplemental salary is set aside for the accountant that oversees the WSARE Grant Contract Number C029545.
3. There are no walkabouts planned for FY 05 due to completing adequate number of walkabouts in FY 04.
4. A Land Monitoring handbook will be published in FY 05 along with training for the Department of Agriculture staff, to successfully carry out the outreach program of the monitoring implementation and also satisfy the goals and priorities of Department of Agriculture “Navajo Beef” project.

B. Evaluation

Navajo Nation Department of Agriculture believes that change is transforming at the local and the Nation level specifically the staff, director, and program priorities that implements land monitoring on the ground working with Navajo Grazing Associations. The goal of the Associations is to promote “Navajo Beef”; a concept of limited Liability Corporations. Several Association members were invited to attend workshop locally and additional progressive ranchers have attended Land Health Monitoring class, Ranching for Profits school and Record Management training in 2005. The training will continue to bringing together the Sheep producers as well.

In conclusion, the final product, The Land Monitoring Handbook and the Bilingual Monitoring Video, will set up the education component of Rangeland monitoring with our producers. The products are user friendly allowing participatory activities for the Navajo ranchers and farmers who are first-line clients of Department of Agriculture, Navajo Nation. Moreover, the staff of the Department of Agriculture is training to enable themselves to teach the monitoring courses as a component to the soil and water conservation activities.

Collaborators: