Range program brings conservationist to CSC

The course, funded by the Bill and Virginia Coffee Family Foundation Grant, will cover the development and use of a rangeland assessment tool co-developed by Shaver. Special emphasis will be placed on interpreting indicators of rangeland health and attributes such as soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity. Indicators and attributes will be interpreted in a management context intended especially for grazing management decisions.

The course will feature seven in-class sessions on Thursdays, beginning March 17. Other dates are March 24 and 31, and April 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Rangeland building, Room 110. The class is open to the public and can be completed for one college credit hour, however, attendees are not required to take the course for credit.

Shaver earned a bachelor’s in Range Science at New Mexico State University before earning a doctorate in Rangeland Ecology and Management from Oregon State University. He worked as a student range technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service at the Jornada Experiment Range in New Mexico before he was hired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. He has been a state Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) range conservationist in New Mexico, Utah, and Texas, and a National Applied Fire Ecologist before retiring in 2013 and returning to Oregon State University to teach.

Agriculture and Rangeland Management Professor Dr. Ronald Bolze says Shaver has a lot of experience to share with CSC students and the local ranching community.

“Dr. Shaver comes to CSC with a world of practical experience,” Bolze said. “He is also a co-author of the Rangeland Health Assessment Criteria used by NRCS nationwide today.”

Shaver owns Rangeland Management Services, LLC, and is a former President of the International Society for Range Management.

For more information, contact Bolze at 308-432-6237 or rbolze@csc.edu.