Range Day set for Tuesday
CHADRON – Two Chadron State College students and two alumni will make presentations during the Fourth Annual Upper Niobrara-White Natural Resource District (UNWNRD) Range Day Tuesday at Chadron State College’s Student Center.
The CSC Rangeland Management program and C.F. Coffee Gallery with support from the Bill and Virginia Coffee Family Foundation are among the event’s major sponsors.
According to Nevin Price, resources coordinator with the UNWNRD, the day-long, free event is planned to provide local agriculture producers and CSC students with industry news and best practices for range managers.
The day begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes the presentation of the CSC Range Management Alumni Achievement Award during lunch. Those interested in attending should call 308-432-6190 to reserve a space for the free lunch.
CSC Assistant Professor Dr. Tony Perlinski, who serves on the Range Day committee, said the agenda concludes with CSC student presentations at 3:30 p.m. Vanessa Yeoman of Hot Springs, South Dakota, will describe her field research about how controlled grazing might help control the spread of smooth brome, an invasive plant species. Marina McCreary of Morrill, Nebraska, will explain her research into man-made structures designed to mimic the appearance and purpose of beaver dams.
Other speakers include Tim Buskirk, CSC alumnus and district ranger with the USDA Forest Service, who will talk about the status of recovery efforts from 2012 fires in the Pine Ridge National Forest and surrounding areas, and Kristin Dickinson, CSC alumna and district conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Sidney, Nebraska, will describe ways to preserve and improve range health. Also, Aaron Berger, will speak on the unit cost of production and Don Day Jr. will present about weather.
Two ranch managers, Jon Griggs, of Elko, Nevada, and Shanon Sims of McFadden, Wyoming, will describe environmental resources best practices. Griggs will explain how he oversees riparian areas for the benefit of wildlife and livestock and Sims will explain his rotational grazing plan.
Agenda
8:30 a.m., Coffee
9 a.m., Pine Ridge Fire Recovery, Tim Buskirk
9:30 a.m., Riparian Management, Jon Griggs
10:30 a.m., Break
10:45 a.m., Range Health, Kristin Dickinson
11:30 a.m., Unit Cost of Production, Aaron Berger
12:15 p.m., Lunch featuring CSC’s Range Management Alumni Achievement Award
1 p.m., Current and Future Weather, Don Day Jr.
1:45 p.m., Break
2 p.m., Rotational Grazing by Shanon Sims
3:30 p.m. Presentations by student members of the Society of Range Management
Category: Campus News, Range Management