O’Rourke leads effort for rangeland designation by United Nations

On March 15, after 14 years of steady effort mixed with some disappointing outcomes, a goal was reached. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. 

O’Rourke, a range management professor for 14 years at Chadron State College before retiring in 2002, and a few others who have “carried the ball,” so to speak, are relieved and also excited that their perseverance has paid off. 

It all started in 2008, with O’Rourke the instigator when the first steps were taken to inform citizens around the globe about the importance and need to protect the rangelands that make up more than half of the earth’s surfaces and the pastoralists, who use them, including U.S. producers.

At that time, O’Rourke was president of the International Rangeland Congress and the meeting took place in Inner Mongolia. That’s a long way from Chadron but is one of the many countries that had sought his expertise on how to manage their ranges or grasslands as they are called in numerous foreign lands. 

“We passed a resolution that we wanted the United Nations to declare an International Year of the Rangeland,” O’Rourke recalls. “Rangeland is an invaluable resource and it needs to be protected and preserved because it is so important. We sent our resolution to the Food and Agricultural Organization that is a part of the United Nations.

“Nothing much happened following that first effort, but we learned from the process and what would be involved,” he said. “We weren’t discouraged, got more organizations and people involved, and kept working.”

The effort remained one of the top items on the International Rangeland Congress agenda, but since the organization meets only every three or four years, persistence was necessary to keep the flame glowing.

The 2011 meeting was in Rosario, Argentina. Two more resolutions were passed. One was similar to the first--designate an International Year of Rangelands.  The other sought support for a global rangelands assessment that would strengthen the first resolution. From that action, numerous range-related organizations from around the world “caught the vision,” in O’Rourke’s words, and passed supportive resolutions.

O’Rourke recalls that it was encouraging when the UN General Assembly designated 2015 as the International Year of Soils. But those involved in livestock production that depends on grasses and herbs, etc., to feed their animals, wanted a more specific international observance designated.

Also in 2015, the Society of Range Management (SRM) met in Corpus Christi, Texas, and “that’s where things really happened,” O’Rourke remembers. The International Affairs and Outreach Committees joined forces to make a greater impact and Barbara Hutchinson, a librarian at the University of Arizona and an expert on computer design, agreed to develop websites that have helped explain the resolution and seek more support for it.

Two more women also have played important roles in the process. One is Maryam Niamir Fuller, who is familiar with the UN’s inner-workings. The other is Ann Waters Bayer of Germany. While O’Rourke has been the primary representative for range management specialists from around the world, Bayar is familiar with herders’ organizations whose livestock migrate to various regions in their countries and also has experience in African nations where wildlife also feed on rangeland plants.  

In 2016, another International Rangeland Congress meeting was in Saskatoon, Canada, where representatives from 50 countries committed to support the proposed resolution and action plan. That meant progress was being made, O’Rourke noted.

More cooperation and involvement occurred in the fall of 2021, when the International Rangeland Congress had a virtual meeting based in Nairobi, Kenya. That meant O’Rourke’s participation had to take place from about 2 a.m. to noon Mountain Time as he sat in his office in the Range Center at Chadron State, but he was pleased with the developments.

Four resolutions were passed: 1, the need for more letters of support; 2, outlining monthly global activities that will take place leading up to and during the 2026 observance; 3, developing global plans for research needs; and 4, establishing a Kenyan support group.   

When the resolution was finally adopted in New York City on March 15, some 103 countries voted for it and letters of support were received from more than 300 organizations that have members who are involved in raising animals that depend on rangeland plants for sustenance.

“We finally got enough people informed about our effort and gained the support and know-how to make it happen,” O’Rourke said. “We were so pleased when we found out the resolution had passed.”

“Overgrazing threatens grasses and other rangeland plants,” O’Rourke stated. “That’s true whether it’s on American ranches or in the game preserves in Africa. I have done what are called rangeland health assessments for more than 100 ranches in Nebraska, and 95 percent of them have good managers who are doing things right, but that’s not true around the world.”

O’Rourke added that folks not directly involved in agriculture also need to be made aware of the importance of protecting this invaluable resource. He also emphasized that properly managed rangelands form the largest “carbon sink” on the planet and require little fossil-fuel energy.

“Rangeland and pastorals help offset all the carbon dioxide that the thousands and thousands of vehicles in the big cities spew into the atmosphere,” said O’Rourke, “This is something we’ll definitely point out to the masses when we have our big events to celebrate the International Year in 2026.” 

O’Rourke has devoted his professional life to the preservation and improvement of rangelands, not only in the U.S. but around the world. He attended the first International Rangeland Congress when it was in Denver in 1978, and has attended eight of 10 ensuing sessions. He has visited at least 15 countries to assess and provide counsel on range management issues and through his travels, is acquainted with range leaders around the world.