Kansas Section
Society for Range Management
Kansas Section Report and Happenings
The Kansas Section of the SRM conducts and supports activities each year that reach out to both youth and adults regarding rangeland management. In 2019 the Kansas Section supported the Kansas Envirothon. The Kansas Envirothon is an outdoor, environmental high school competition where students learn and are tested on a variety of topics. In 2019 the topics included aquatics/ecology, forestry, soils/land use, and wildlife. Teams also give an oral presentation and were tested on this year’s current issue, agroecology.
The main youth activity the Kansas Section supports each year is the Kansas Range Youth Camp. This year the camp will be held June 18-21 at Camp Mennoscah in Kingman County. Most of these high school students are sponsored by their local conservation district, but the camp is conducted primarily by members of the Kansas Section. Students are exposed to a number of topics including rangelands of Kansas, plant physiology, plant identification, soils, ecological sites, monitoring techniques, prescribed burning and smoke management, wildlife management, invasive plant control, stocking rates and forage balance, grazing distribution, and grazing systems. A ranch tour is held and students work in teams to develop a management plan. These plans are presented orally and the students take a written and plant identification test. Careers in range management are shared with the students.
Kansas Section members are also involved as instructors each year at two adult range management schools organized by the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition. This year the camps will be held August 6-8 at Ringneck Ranch near Tipton, KS, and The Tallgrass School will be August 20-22 at Camp Wood, near Elmdale, KS. Although topics are similar from year to year, the theme changes. In 2019 presenters will emphasize managing outside of normal. An invited speaker and a rancher panel will discuss the theme. Other topics covered will include plant physiology, soil health, plant identification, measuring and monitoring, stocking rates, adaptive management, and prescribed burn associations.
This year the Kansas Section plans to co-sponsor a tour/workshop on a Flint Hills ranch where the manager is trying some new ideas. He uses an integrated approach using grazing management, brush and weed control, and prescribed burning. Other organizations involved include the Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, Tallgrass Legacy Alliance, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition, and K-State Research and Extension.
Walt Fick
KS Section Newsletter Editor
KS Section Newsletter Editor
Justin Roemer
Chair/President
Chair/President: Justin RoemerChair/President: Kansas SectionChair/President
Upcoming Events
Nebraska Center for Grassland Studies LEU Lecture
Nebraska Center for Grassland Studies will host its annual Leu Lecture on Thursday, November 12, 2026,
from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at Hardin Hall Auditorium, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, Nebraska
68503. This year’s featured speaker, Dr. Lauren Svejcar, will highlight global efforts with
the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), highlighting the
importance of rangelands, the people who manage them, and their contributions to
communities and ecosystems around the world (https://iyrp.info/).
November 12, 2026 • Hardin Hall Auditorium
November 12, 2026Range & Fire Ecology Education Program - Application
The University of Nevada, Reno has the program for you!
Visit the program website to find out more & apply today!
Do you want to advance your career with Rangeland and Fire Ecology management knowledge and skills?
Are you limited in the amount of time you can dedicate to courses
because of work, family, and life obligations?
Do you want to qualify for a Federal 401 or 454 position within 2 years?
Multiple Knowledge & Skill Pathways
454 Rangeland Management Specialist Certification (also meets coursework for “Certified Rangeland Management”)
401 Natural Resource Specialist Certification
Micro-Credentials (9-12 credit focused coursework & experience):
• Fire Ecology& Fuels Management
• Riparian Ecology & Management
• Restoration Ecology & Management
• Rangeland Planning & Management
• Grazing Management
Program Logistics & Cost
• All students pay in-state tuition, currently $312.75 per credit hour, plus a $102.00 technology fee per course.
• Field requirements vary by course, ranging from 2-5 days for lower division to 7-10 days for the upper division course block.
• Field sites are primarily located in Nevada. Some field weeks require accommodations(i.e., a hotel); other weeks require camping.
Visit the program website to find out more & apply today!
Questions? Email Dawna Snyder (dawnas@unr.edu)
or Lucas Phipps (lphipps@unr.edu)
November 3 - 30, 2026
November 3 - 30, 2026Nebraska Natural Resources Conference
2026 Conference
October 27-29, 2026 | Younes Conference Center South, Kearney, NE
Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, the Nebraska Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and the Nebraska Section of the Society for Range Management have come together to host this unique event, reflecting our shared mission to sustain Nebraska’s natural resources through stewardship, science, and education. The theme for the 2026 conference is “Deep Roots, Lasting Lands”.
October 27 - 29, 2026
October 27 - 29, 2026