Sustainable Grazing Management in Riparian and Wetland Pasture

Sustainable Grazing Management in Riparian and Wetland Pasture

Summary

The Sustainable Grazing Management in Riparian and Wetland Pasture 3 Day Course is tentatively scheduled to take place on May 10-12, 2017. The Owen Conference room at the Coos County Annex building has been reserved for those dates. One location for the field portion of the class has been secured, while two others are pending confirmation in March. Announcements about the course have been mailed out in our 2017 Newsletter to our 610 landowner mailing list consisting of all Coos County residents owning 5 or more acres of land zoned EFU (exclusive farm use) or mixed use, and we are currently preparing a news article about the course which will hopefully boost registration.

Additionally, the course is scheduled to take place the week after the annual Oregon Conservation Education and Assistance Network (OCEAN) CONNECT Conference, which will feature sessions taught by Sandra Wyman of the National Riparian Service Team. Sandra is one of the instructors teaching our 3-day Course on Sustainable Grazing Management, and so will be able to promote the course during her CONNECT sessions. The CONNECT audience generally consists of directors and personnel from Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Watershed Councils, and Tribes from across the state as well as representatives from state and federal agencies such as the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Departments of Environmental Quality, Fish & Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Army Corps. of Engineers, and many others. Thus it is possible that we could have participants from across the state as well as from neighboring Districts/Counties.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objective 1. By improving the understanding of tools, concepts, thought processes, and principles of sustainable wetland and riparian grazing, natural resources professionals will be better able to work with principles of sustainable wetland and riparian grazing, natural resources professionals will be better able to work with other individuals, groups, and agencies to develop, teach, and implement successful grazing management strategies.

Objective 2. To develop two demonstrational areas on actual livestock operations which will model on-the-ground best management practices for both livestock and wildlife use of riparian areas.

Objective 3. To instill a foundational understanding of the ecological services which healthy riparian zones and wetland areas provide, and best management practices necessary to sustainably use these areas for livestock grazing.

Objective 4. To provide a hands-on learning experience in which participants of the course will be given an actual livestock operation situation, and using a collaborative adaptive management approach, design grazing management alternatives to achieve riparian objectives.

Objective 5. To create a forum in which natural resources professionals; state and federal agency personnel; and local agricultural producers can explore the various influencing factors surrounding sustainability of grazing in sensitive riparian and wetland areas.

Accomplishments/Milestones

As of today, the date for the course has been set for May 10-12 and planning is underway with the National Riparian Service team members to tailor the coursework specifically to our region. One of three field site tour locations has been secured; a second site which we had planned to use has been cancelled due to a change in land ownership. A third site is pending confirmation from the landowner who will be able to confirm participation by March 14. As advertising for enrollment in the course has now begun, we are hoping that 1-2 landowners who want to participate will volunteer to host field tours on their property.

Current working timeline for the course:

Jan. – 2017 Newsletters containing announcements and information about the course are mailed out to Coos County agricultural and timber landowners (see Newsletter2017 Final, page 7)

Feb. – Advertisements placed in the World, Sentinel, and Western World Newspapers about the course and offering early bird registration; additionally, we hope to finalize the field tour site locations for the course.

Mar. – All field site tour locations confirmed; Draft agenda for the course is outlined and mailed out with flyers for the course to our mailing list as well as the OSU Coos, Curry, and Douglas County Extension offices.

April. – All course details finalized; deadline to register/enroll

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

As the course has not actually taken place at this time, I cannot report accurately on the total contributions and outcomes.

However, the ideal outcome for the participants of this course would be for them to leave with a greater understanding of the various influencing factors surrounding sustainability of grazing in sensitive riparian and wetland areas. Natural resources professionals, upon completion of this training, should also have a more thoroughly developed ability to teach and implementing successful grazing management strategies.

For the agricultural landowners, we hope that by utilizing the methods and techniques covered in this course they are able to improve the quality and sustainability of their operations and become better stewards of the land. All participants will be left with a clear understanding of the ecological services which healthy riparian zones and wetland habitat provides, and best management practices to sustainably use these areas for livestock grazing.

Collaborators: