SRM’s voice on the record...
This toolkit provides:
- Clear explanations of each SRM Priority at risk of losing funding
- Sample messages to share with legislators on key issues
- A robust FAQ section to address rapid developments in the media
- A critical contact list for easy access to key policymakers
The joint statement highlights the long-term risks posed by continued staffing reductions and outlines the vital role of federal field professionals in supporting rural economies, landowners, and conservation priorities nationwide:“The federal natural resource workforce must be properly supported to deliver the critical services upon which so many Americans rely. Recent staffing reductions have left agencies unable to meet the demands of resource management, scientific advancement, and public engagement—all of which are essential for sustaining the nation’s landscapes and rural economies.”
The societies stress specific concerns regarding the impacts of these layoffs, particularly on early-career professionals and field staff who provide essential technical guidance, infrastructure maintenance, and restoration expertise. In their statement, the coalition made clear that both rural communities and national environmental goals depend on retaining and restoring this highly skilled workforce.As part of the statement, the societies also note the economic benefits of retaining these vital positions. For every federal dollar spent on conservation and natural resource management, $2.40 is returned to local and national economies—a testament to the critical value of these programs.Read more about this collaboration and SRM’s efforts here: Professional Societies Issue Joint Statement on Federal Workforce.By joining forces with these leading professional societies, SRM continues to elevate the concerns of rangeland professionals while underscoring their indispensable contributions to sustainable land management and resource conservation.
In its letter to Secretary Rollins, SRM highlights the essential partnerships between federal field staff and agricultural producers:
“Rangelands comprise nearly 30% of the nation’s total land area—approximately 770 million acres—and are central to both our nation’s food supply and ecological health. These staffing reductions threaten to disrupt essential partnerships and diminish the future effectiveness of rangeland management that supports ranchers, rural economies, and vital landscapes.”
Addressing Secretary Burgum, SRM underscores the lasting consequences workforce reductions inflict on rangeland operations and resource management:
“The loss of this capacity will have far-reaching consequences for our nation’s public lands and those who rely on them. Many ranchers have already been waiting years for critically needed post-fire repair of fences, water structures, and other infrastructure. These delays place significant financial and operational burdens on permittees while stalling essential resource management.”
Both letters stress the importance of restoring federal positions to ensure that essential rangeland management, wildfire prevention, and infrastructure maintenance efforts can continue without further setbacks. SRM also highlights the immediate economic and operational burdens these delays impose on ranchers and rural communities.
Through these conversations with federal leaders, SRM remains committed to elevating the voices of rangeland professionals while working toward practical reforms that prioritize the restoration of field staff and the strengthening of rangeland management programs.
Read More about SRM’s Advocacy:
SRM joins large coalition supporting sustained funding for USDA’s Wildlife Services in FY2024.
Read about the USGS Coalition and its Member Organizations
Letter to Senate Appropriators
Letter to Senate Appropriators
CLICK HERE to Read the 3DEP Coalition letter to Senate Appropriations Committee FY 2021 (4-24-2020)
The meeting resulted in and invitation to participate in some way at the 2020 SRM Annual Meeting, Technical Training and Trade Show to continue “to find opportunities to exchange information to help advance science and management of rangelands throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
SRM Staff attended the Western Governors’ Association Working
Lands Roundtable in Denver, Colorado
SRM’s Outreach Coordinator attended the Western Governors’ Association, “Working Lands Round Table” in Denver earlier this month to elevate the Society’s role in this conversation on a regional and national level. The workshop delved into “at-risk species conservation, broad-scale threats to western working landscapes, and cross-boundary coordination in resource management and planning”. Several SRM members were also present at the event, including members of the Rangeland Invasive Species Committee.
The Round Table was opened by NRCS Chief, Matt Lohr, who expressed the “importance of working with partner agencies and NGO’s to multiply efforts”. Chief Lohr, a 5th generation farmer, voiced his perspective from his upbringing in agriculture and the lessons he learned in “protecting resources”. In his address, he referenced Working Lands for Wildlife and its success in working with producers to conserve 7.1 million acres of wildlife habitat that has helped many species such as the Greater Sage Grouse. As he stated, “Good things are happening and word is spreading…our challenge is there is still a lot of work to be done.”
NRCS Chief Matt Lohr, provided the opening address.
Western Governors’ Association Executive Director, Jim Ogsbury, articulated the theme of the meeting with his opening statements, “We have to figure out how to keep “Working Lands Working, while supporting collaborative conservation…We have to start looking at these issues in an integrated, collaborative way, promoting forest and rangeland health.”
Reiterated throughout the conference, were avenues to “build a better West through collaborative conservation”. This distinct directive was evident in the dialogues of each discussion panel, all offering unique perspectives and emphasizing varying aspects of rangeland management.
SRM participated in the “West-Wide Cheatgrass Management” work session, where multiple stakeholders expressed what is working, and what’s not working from their perspective. Discussion and brainstorming about realistic and tangible solutions for all stakeholders and how to implement these were discussed at length. Certainly, it’s no secret that cheatgrass management is a complex, multi-faceted issue, so it was encouraging to see so many bright minds discussing ways to collaborate on an issue that is so prevalent and interconnected within our fields of expertise.
BLM Idaho State Director and dedicated SRM member, John Ruhs, provided a detailed overview of Outcome Based Grazing during one of the panel discussions.
The workshop also included multiple panel discussions including, “Collaborative Conservation”, “Threats to Western Working Lands”, “Coordination Between Federal Agencies”, “Natural Resource Data Management and Landowner Privacy”, “Migration Corridors”, “Regulatory Certainty and Litigation”, “Case Study – Cross Boundary and Multi-Agency Collaboration”.
Each panel had multiple thought-provoking statements that evoked conversation on how to better serve working rangelands. We noted a few throughout the conference:
“The best thing we can do to keep lands and species healthy is to keep farmers farming and keep ranchers ranching”. – Paul Souza, US Fish & Wildlife Service
“As landowners we take seriously stewarding lands. We believe not only is it the right things to do, but the necessary thing to do…Collaborative conservation is the future.” – Lesli Allison, Western Landowners Alliance
“100 million acres of the West are invaded by cheatgrass, which is almost twice the amount of land covered by the entire National Parks system… Our Rangelands are incredibly resilient. We have time, we just need to act now.”
– Jeremy Maestas, Natural Resource Conservation Service
“If we lock ourselves into how we’ve been managing land for the last 50 years, we’re never going to improve. We have to take what we’ve learned from the past and carry that forward. Independent linear solutions are not getting us where we need to go.” Garth Fuller, The Nature Conservancy
Several SRM members were panelists on the “Threats to Western Working Lands”
“The longer we stay in a state of landscapes dictated by invasive species, the harder it is to get back to an equilibrium dictated by the natural perennials…Instead of being reactive, we must be proactive in managing these species”.
–Brian Mealor, Sheridan Research and Extension Center, SRM Rangeland Invasive Species Committee
“There is a fundamental lack of good science to make informed policy decisions. What I’m seeing is a rush to make a decision, nailing that decision into the ground, and then fighting over it.” – Paul Ulrich, Jonah Energy
“We have more endangered species on our land by density than any other federal agency. We have 350 threatened and endangered species, a number of which exist only on DoD land. This requires a lot of collaboration to manage them.”
– Kristin Thomasgard-Spence, Department of Defense
“At it’s core, collaboration is about people. And it’s about values. We have to get to a place where we honor those values.” – John Ruhs, Bureau of Land Management
These quotes only begin to summarize the dialogue at the WGA Working Lands Roundtable. If you interested in viewing the discussions, CLICK HERE to view the livestream.
Our hats off to Western Governors’ Association for coordinating this outstanding event!
CLICK HERE for the letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee
Updated Bison Management Plan, Submitted by American Prairie Reserve (July 31 2018)
SRM_Scoping Comments – APR Bison Management Plan
SRM joined a variety of other organizations to show strong support of full baseline funding for the Conservation Title in the next Farm Bill. See official letter here.
Today, SRM joined a variety of organizations in signing on to a policy letter relating to Farm Bill Research.
Read Farm Bill Research Policy Letter Signed by SRM