Collaborative Training for Southwest Grassland Restoration under Environmental Uncertainty

Commodities

Building on case studies of new vegetation management strategies at the landscape level from Arizona and New Mexico, three collaborative and interrelated workshops were held for Extension and NRCS personnel, non-profits, landowners, and other stakeholders. Participants had opportunities to learn about historic and current trends in climate conditions and woody species management, treatment options, regulatory issues, and identification of conservation action sites.  Rangeland Extension and technology specialists at the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, NRCS, and the Rangelands Partnership (1) organized and implemented three workshops, (2) documented workshops and shared stories through video, and (3) implemented a social media campaign before, during, and after workshops to engage stakeholders throughout the West, (4) adapted videos and workshop materials for the web, and incorporated them into RangelandsWest.org as a Highlighted Topic to extend learning opportunities.

This project provided intensive training opportunities on historic and current trends in climate conditions, brush and woody species control in the Southwest, treatment options, and implementation of grassland restoration projects under current conditions. Building on case studies of vegetation management experiences from Arizona and New Mexico, three collaborative and interrelated full-day workshops, coupled with a concentrated outreach and support program, were held for Extension and NRCS personnel, non-profits, landowners, and other stakeholders during 2017-19 in Southern Arizona.