8th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/100283

The 8th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, Congress for Wildlife and Livelihoods on Private and Communal Lands: Livestock, Tourism, and Spirit, was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado to encourage actions toward issues and opportunities involving private lands, their owners/operators, and cooperating public and private agencies, organizations, and businesses. These digital collections include plenary presentations, topical presentations on the nine symposium themes, Jed's Corner (attendee interviews with puppet Jedediah Johnston), a Blue Valley Ranch field trip video, the congress summary, and the final program and abstracts.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 108

Open Access
Conservation in the 21st century - thinking big, the public good, and private lands
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Hayes, John, speaker; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Conservation and stewardship of our natural resources have been fundamental to the missions of a number of our public agencies in the United States since their inception. However, as important as public lands have been for conservation in the United States, most of the nation's land is in private ownership. The amount, distribution, and characteristics of private lands, combined with the spatial scales at which ecological systems operate, create a special and critical conservation role for private lands. While many of the strategies for conservation on public lands are also effective on private lands, private lands present special opportunities for conservation, as well as special challenges. As is true in many regions, conservation on private lands has played a critical role in sustaining wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems in Northern Colorado. Examples of innovative conservation partnerships and efforts focused on conservation of private lands in the region are presented. Lessons learned from these case studies and the shifting dynamics facing our natural systems suggest a number of lessons and future directions in conservation, education, and research.
Open Access
Congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit: summary
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Benson, Delwin E., director; Peterson, Kesley Arline, producer; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Includes: a brief summary of congress, a thank you note from Dr. Benson and a short video.
Open Access
The potential of wildlife to improve the standard of living and food security in rural Africa
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) van Hoven, Wouter, speaker; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Poaching, unsustainable wildlife utilization practices and the bush meat trade has cleared wildlife out of many of their former natural habitats in Africa. Based on the success of reintroducing wildlife into the Quicama National Park in Angola in cooperation with the local community, all wildlife that have been settled in the wildlife sterile landscape has flourished, multiplied and not one was lost to poaching over the past 12 years. The community is benefitting now from the Park through amongst others employment and the tourist camp is permanently fully booked. Amongst others, the 34 elephants that were airlifted there in family groups have increased to 120. South Africa has experienced a forty fold increase in its wildlife numbers over a period of 50 years due to the private sector and communities taking custodianship of wildlife on private lands. Based on these experiences and successes in starting new nodes of wildlife in Angola, wildlife can be established in other parts of Africa where civil war and over-utilization like in the bush meat trade has wiped wildlife out. The clearest successes in promoting wildlife conservation outside of protected areas in Africa have been achieved where authority to manage and utilize wildlife has been devolved to the landholder level.
Open Access
Colorado's prairie future: oil and gas forecasts, wildlife impacts, and solutions
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Kram, Megan, speaker; Pague, Chris, speaker; Belinda, Steve, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
This project is designed to inspire conversations among oil and gas companies and government agencies about how best to achieve goals for wildlife conservation and oil and gas development across eastern Colorado's vast prairie grasslands. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed this project based on its "Development by Design" methodology (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/smart-development/) and with input from a variety of external partners. The project spans all of eastern Colorado (30 million acres) and includes three components: A forecast of oil and gas development, potential risk to wildlife, and an assessment of "Available Practices for Wildlife." Project results may be used to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts to wildlife through site-specific oil and gas drilling plans, the use of best management practices, etc. Those interested in this project may include oil and gas companies; landowners; and local, state, and federal government agencies within and outside of Colorado.
Open Access
Wind power from Tribal lands: given uncertainties in hydropower
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Gough, Bob, speaker; Morisette, Jeffrey, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
In the midst of accelerating climatic change and observed weather extremes due to long-term natural variation, as well as our more recent and all-too-efficient anthropogenic transfer of carbon from the earth to the atmosphere, Great Plains Indian Tribes see tremendous clean energy and economic development opportunities on the horizon for mitigation and adaptation literally blowing in the wind. Our centralized electrical energy generation capacity is highly water dependent and our transmission and distribution infrastructure, built over the last half-century, is strung out and exposed across the volatile Upper Great Plains. They are extremely vulnerable and highly susceptible to changes in precipitation and other weather variabilities over both the short and long-term. Our electrical generating capacity inextricably relies upon the surface water resources throughout the Missouri River basin to fuel the federal hydropower generators, and to spin and cool the conventional coal and nuclear thermal plants throughout the region. Our rural transmission and distribution systems that deliver electricity are exposed across vast distances and are extremely vulnerable to a variety of weather related disruptions. American Indian Reservations are also spread across this vast expanse where wind, one of America's most abundant renewable energy resources, can be readily tapped through both community-sized, and large, utility-scaled, distributed generation projects. The economic integration of this variable but abundant resource into the coal and hydropower dominated electrical system can benefit from better planning and forecasting in both the short and long term. This paper examines some critical planning and forecasting issues raised in this context.
Open Access
How teaching ethics can be the most persuasive method for preserving our hunting and conservation heritage
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Sabbeth, Michael, speaker; Calderazzo, John, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Our Land Ethic and our conservation and hunting traditions cannot defend or advance themselves. Such achievements require rhetorical skill, wisdom, confidence, moral clarity and hard work. Skillful persuasion that appeals to ethics and character can most effectively sustain and strengthen our conservations and hunting traditions. Rhetorical skills can be used to re-frame and refute the moral and factual foundations of uninformed or bad-faith arguments that attack hunting and conservation models. It is effective to craft the most effective arguments that justify hunting and conservation as virtuous qualities of the American character and which are necessary for wildlife's survival. Three levels of ethical obligations link us to future generations: duties to the animals and the land; duties to self and duties to society. We cannot preserve for the future if we fail to preserve what we have today. Relationships need to be established among information, wisdom, character, consequences, and persuasion; and how each affects the future of hunting and conservation in our current and evolving culture. We cannot win elections, we cannot win funding, and we cannot win the popular culture unless we first persuasively win the arguments based on ethics and facts. Learn how to win arguments to secure the future of hunting and the land ethic we value.
Open Access
North American feral swine diseases: are we winning, yet?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Jack, Skip, speaker; Higginbotham, Billy, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Swine have been around for many millennia, present in North America about one-half of one. They continue to expand their home ranges and unfortunately, they share several infectious diseases with our domestic animals and many zoonotic diseases with humans (e.g. TB, brucellosis, leptospirosis, pseudorabies, etc.). As home ranges (human, wildlife, and domestic animals) expand there will be ever-increasing interactions and opportunities for disease spread. Disease surveillance reports indicate that there are various agents and prevalence around the US. But, apparently management strategies and disease control measures have not yet proven effective. A survey is underway to ascertain the efficacy of various measures. We are meeting this week, an indication that problems persist and continue to expand. Do we need to rethink or expand control strategies for swine and/or disease control (rhetorical question!)? The true question is WHEN we will change our strategies for this control. Will we wait for a crisis?
Open Access
Keynote speaker Chad Bishop: Colorado parks and wildlife
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Bishop, Chad, speaker; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Open Access
Drought risk and adaptation in the Interior
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Morisette, Jeffrey, speaker; Morisette, Jeffrey, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Drought is part of the normal climate variability in the Great Plains and Intermountain Western United States, but recent severe droughts along with climate change projections have increased the interest and need for better understanding of drought science and decision making. The purpose of this study is to understand how the U.S. Department of the Interior's (DOI) federal land and resource managers and their stakeholders (i.e., National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribes, among others) are experiencing and dealing with drought in their landscapes. The Drought Risk and Adaptation in the Interior (DRAI) project is part of a DOI-sponsored North Central Climate Science Center (NC CSC) crosscutting science initiative on drought across the Center's three foundational science areas: 1. Physical climate, 2. Ecosystems impacts and responses, and 3. Human adaptation and decision making. The overarching goal is to learn more about drought within the DOI public lands and resource management in order to contribute to both the NC CSC regional science as well as providing managers and other decision makers with the most salient, credible, and legitimate research to support land and resource management decisions. Here we will present the project approach along with some initial insights (with a focus on grazing lands and related DOI/tribal resource management) learned from the research to date along with its utility for climate adaptation.
Open Access
Bison conservation ranching on Blue Valley Ranch
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Kossler, John, speaker; Handyside, Perry, speaker; Richert, Josh, speaker; Schafer, Shawn, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
For 20 years, Blue Valley Ranch has been practicing conservation ranching in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado with a focus on wildlife and agricultural production. An integrated resource management approach to land stewardship guides its planning process, and an adaptive management philosophy helps to make management decisions based on science and monitoring feedback. The ranch's vision of conserving wildlife habitat, building ecosystem resiliency, and producing quality livestock and forage crops is exemplified in the inclusion of the American bison (Bison bison) in its operation. As a native grazer, bison are a natural choice for raising a healthy food product on native ranges while practicing good land stewardship. Though hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century, bison have made a comeback in recent decades, due in large part to conservation-minded ranchers and private landowners. A clear understanding of their behavior and grazing ecology takes advantage of the bison's evolutionary history with the grasslands and shrublands of the western United States, and makes them a perfect fit for private lands conservation interested in supporting agriculture and healthy ecosystems.
Open Access
A legacy of ranching and conservation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Davis, Russell, speaker; Morgan, Ken, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Russell Davis, a rancher, has been at the forefront of private lands wildlife conservation for the past 12 years, beginning with his involvement in mountain plover research and continuing with short grass prairie conservation. His family was awarded the Landowner of the Year Award from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Sand County Foundation Leopold Stewardship Award. Russell will be discussing his involvement with Colorado programs and his involvement with Partners for Conservation. Partners for Conservation is a private landowner organization which communicates and collaborates on conservation partnerships for working landscapes to benefit present and future generations. To date, the organization has 90 partners, representing 18 states and has hosted six Annual Private Lands/Partners Day conferences bringing together landowners and agency partners.
Open Access
Training wildlife biologists for work on private lands
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Brown, Mary Bomberger, speaker; Smith, Jennifer A., speaker; Powell, Larkin A., speaker; Calderazzo, John, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Conservation and management of wildlife on private lands in the United States is a critical component of the wildlife profession, although university curricula focus on public lands management. Wildlife biologists working on private lands are faced with a mutable landscape and pressures of alternative land uses that shift with changes in economics, regulatory regimes, and societal or cultural values. Loss of biodiversity can be lessened if wildlife biologists are better prepared to work in this challenging landscape. Colleges and universities are faced with training wildlife biologists to work on both public and private lands. Unfortunately, however, wildlife training programs often fail to integrate the management techniques, policy, economics, human dimensions, problem solving, and communication skills required by private lands professionals. Of 14 leading undergraduate wildlife programs that we identified, 36% required a policy class, 36% required a human dimensions class and 7% required an economics class; although most universities did offer interdisciplinary courses, participation was seldom mandatory. We suggest that students and current professionals need to be trained in the skills necessary to protect wildlife when working on privately owned lands. We highlight tools needed for effective private lands conservation such as economic incentives, education, and outreach, and we suggest ways in which they can be taught through modifications to current curriculum, short-courses, continuing education credits, certificate programs, internships, externships, and involvement of agency personnel in the classroom.
Open Access
SYSMAS: a handy software to manage by SMS & Web interface notifications on HWC & other wildlife events…
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Le Bel, Sébastien, speaker; Chavernac, David, speaker; Breck, Stewart, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Human-wildlife conflicts have drastically increased around conservation areas in Africa in recent decades, thus undermining the peaceful cohabitation of wildlife populations and rural human settlements. Mitigation packages include various reporting forms, which are often ineffective since the information conveyed is generally scattered and useless. The booming mobile phone sector and the popular use of text messages (SMS) have provided an opportunity to assess the impact of real-time communication systems in human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies. After preliminary tests conducted in Mozambique and Zimbabwe with FrontlineSMS, we improved the recording and transfer of raw information generated at field level with the development of an integrated system called SYSMAS. Apart from improving the quality of wildlife based information, SYSMAS was developed as a handy management tool informing in real time decision makers and easy to upload even without specific computer skills. This paper details how easy any human-wildlife conflict incident or wildlife event can be translated into a set of explanatory variables and captured on mobile phones with ad-hoc SMS models. According to local communication facilities, real-time sharing of the information could be achieved directly through a Web interface or via SMS; this last been more handy in remote African farmland. Once adopted, such a human-wildlife conflict early warning system could be deployed at low cost. The same approach could be promoted for the establishment of reporting systems on wildlife disease outbreaks.
Open Access
Congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit - final program and abstracts
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Wildlife Ranching Symposium, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Open Access
Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse reintroduction to Middle Park
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Richert, Josh, speaker; Kossler, John, speaker; Riley, Terry, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus; CSTG) is the rarest of six sub-species of grouse that are endemic to sagebrush, shrubsteppe and mountain shrub communities of western North America. It currently occupies less than 10% of its historic range, including 3 counties in northwestern Colorado, due to habitat loss, energy development, changes in land management and urban expansion. CSTG populations had been documented in the Lower Blue River Basin of Middle Park in North-Central Colorado as recently as the mid-1950s, so a cooperative effort between Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and private landowner Blue Valley Ranch (BVR) sought to re-introduce the bird to this area. Trapping occurred from the Fall 2006 - Spring 2008 seasons in the Hayden and Craig areas of Northwestern Colorado. A total of 91 females and 58 males were released on Blue Valley Ranch from 2006 - 2008. Approximately 15 males and 27 females were deployed with VHF radio transmitters for monitoring. Habitat and nesting data were also collected for comparison with the trapping area. Since the release, two permanent leks have been established with high counts of 21 and 26 males in 2014, with two additional lek sites needing confirmation in 2015. The project has been successful in establishing a new population of CSTG on a private, 25,000 acre conservation ranch within their historical range, and CPW plans to augment the population with additional CSTG releases over the next 2-3 years in the Williams Fork Drainage, about 8 miles east of BVR.
Open Access
The Lesser Prairie-Chicken range-wide conservation plan
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Klute, David, speaker; Riley, Terry, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a prairie grouse endemic to the southern Great Plains where it occurs primarily on private land. In March 2014 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the lesser prairie-chicken warranted listing as a Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) developed the Lesser Prairie-chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan (range-wide plan) to set population and habitat goals, identify focal areas and connectivity zones required to sustain and expand lesser-prairie-chicken populations, and encourage coordination of habitat management activities both prior to and after the ESA listing. A novel aspect of the range-wide plan is a voluntary mitigation framework which (1) financially incentivizes avoidance and minimization of impacts from industry at broad and local spatial scales and (2) financially incentivizes the implementation of beneficial conservation practices by private landowners to offset impacts through the use of both short-term management contracts and permanent conservation easements. With the implementation of the Threatened listing, a special 4(d) rule provides incidental take coverage for activities conducted by participants in the range-wide plan. As of May 2014 over 6.2 million acres have been enrolled in the range-wide plan and associated Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA). Enrollment fees of over $43 million have been committed to fund mitigation offsets in perpetuity for future impacts on enrolled acres. Contracts on private land in high-quality lesser prairie-chicken habitat are being implemented to offset impacts anticipated in 2014.
Open Access
The perception of the Millennial generation (Y-generation) consumer of game (wildlife) meat and game meat safety
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Bekker, J. L. (J. Leon), speaker; Renecker, Lyle, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
As in other parts of the world, one of the options for conservationists and game farmers is to channel the meat as a result of harvesting or hunting activities into the local and international food markets. Game meat is however foreign to many, especially urbanised consumers and therefore they tend not to try it as an alternative source of meat. On the other hand, younger consumers such as the millennial generation (Y generation) are seeking for healthier meat products that are free from hormones and other substances and that are more "natural". Game meat mostly provides for these requirements. According to most reports, Generation Y (Gen Y) was born between 1977 and 1994. This timeframe identifies millinial consumers between 19 and 36 years old in 2013. The millinial generation is expected to be as large and influential as the Baby Boomers, which was the generation prior to Gen Y. Information regarding the study was obtained through a desk top study and analysis of questionnaire responses from young South African meat consumers (millinials) with regards to the abovementioned topics. Millinials are the current and future consumer and have a role to play in meat choices. They are however more informed due to higher exposure to media. The research looked for insights in the millinial generations perception about hunting and the use of the meat as a source of meat and concerns regarding meat safety issues such as zoonotic diseases, microbiological contamination and meat inspection practices. The research revealed that consumers do have concerns, especially with regards to animal welfare, hunting practices, exposure to zoonotic diseases, and contamination of the meat by microorganisms and other biological, chemical and physical matter that may cause harm to the consumer. Millinials (Generation Y) are young meat consumers who are especially important for the industry because they offer an opportunity for growth in the industry. If their experience with game meat is positive, these younger consumers will develop a taste for game meat that are likely to last as over years. These younger consumers care more about brand name, quality (including safety) and will typically spend more money to purchase it. It is therefore important to understand their concerns and to use it to the benefit of the wildlife industry.
Open Access
Conservation of Greater Sage-grouse: challenges managing a landscape scale species
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Stiver, San, speaker; Riley, Terry, moderator; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Greater Sage-grouse are a western North American plains grouse that had a potential pre-European settlement distribution of approximately 1,200,483 km2, spanning 12 US states and three Canadian provinces. That distribution has declined to < 668,412 km2 in 11 states and two Canadian provinces. The Greater Sage-grouse was determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 to warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, but were precluded because of higher conservation priorities. Concern for the species, by a host of conservation entities lead to a comprehensive range-wide conservation strategy which includes conservation efforts, monitoring, adaptive management, research and technology, communication and funding components. The strategy was based upon the need to manage Greater Sage-grouse from a range-wide perspective, spanning multiple jurisdictions and coordinating conservation efforts on a landscape scale. We will explore the biological, economic, temporal, and political challenges of managing this species and the sagebrush biome. Sage-grouse are a sagebrush obligate species; depending upon the plant for many of its life functions. Sage-grouse as individuals or populations require large tracts of sagebrush, often spanning jurisdictions and land ownership to meet their needs. Sagebrush is a very slow growing shrub that is vulnerable to wildfire and disturbance. Some species of sagebrush require decades to reach a preferred age class for sage-grouse. Resources important to Western States will necessarily be impacted by an ESA listing and the prospect of an ESA listing has the attention of politicians from the Administration, the Senate and House, Governors, State Legislatures and County Commissions.
Open Access
Jed's corner with Mike Panagos
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Johnston, Jedediah (Puppet), interviewer; Panagos, Mike, interviewee; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Jedediah Johnston (puppet) interviews Mike Panagos.
Open Access
Introduction to land and animal ownership
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-09) Benson, Delwin E., speaker; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, producer
Private lands are used for wildlife and livelihoods on 2/3rds of the US including Colorado. Eastern US and Colorado is more private and the West more public. In Colorado, private lands dominate the eastern short grass prairies, western sagebrush steppes, hills, and mountain valleys. High elevation alpine, forests and range lands are often public, managed by government agencies. National, state, county, and city parks, wildlife areas, and two of 36 sections in townships, called state land trust lands are intermixed with private lands fragmenting ownership, uses, and management. In Colorado, wildlife has seasonal movements north and south, up and down elevations, and to and from private and public lands. Wildlife tends to be on private lands for transitional uses and wintering while on public lands during summers based on food and shelter needs, with exceptions. Hunters come to the West to hunt with open access on abundant and no cost public lands, but prefer private lands when access is granted and if the costs are within budgets. Public lands can become overused in space, time and resources. Access to private lands is appealing to users because animal numbers and recreational experiences can be of higher quality with more private control. Charging access fees is increasing on private lands. Wildlife in the US belongs to the people in custodial jurisdiction of state wildlife agencies with federal responsibilities for migratory and endangered species, and all wildlife while on their lands. Those with wildlife on their lands can have positive or negative influences.

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