SUMMARY

The Utah Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI) is a coalition of state agencies, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, producer organizations, professional societies, USU Extension and research services, and others that provide landowners and society with variety of benefits.  These benefits are provided by developing programs at the local level that accomplish the mission of GLCI.
For the past four years, the Utah GLCI Steering Committee mission has been to identify priority issues, find solutions, and affect positive changes on private grazing land resources.  This request for $12,100 with $10,960 in matching contributions from coalition partners will help the GLCI Coalition serve as a catalyst for enhancement of grazing land resources in Utah.  It will provide the GLCI Coalition with the means to actively pursue the GLCI Mission.  It will also serve as a vehicle to facilitate coordination with other natural resource groups and state and federal agencies.

COORDINATED APPROACH

Identification of customers and their educational needs:

This proposal provides the GLCI Coalition with the means to work together to positively influence the management of non-federal grazing lands in Utah.  It also has the potential to reach all users who want to increase understanding of livestock/wildlife relationships in Utah.  There has been a general misunderstanding of the importance of a viable livestock industry as it relates to healthy ecosystems, wildlife populations and biodiversity.  We will address the education needs of landowners, livestock producers, sportsmen and other users.

Educational goals and objectives:

The GLCI Coalition goal is to improve the levels of management and productivity of private rangelands and pastures in Utah through educational efforts.  Coalition objectives are: 1) to identify priority issues related to grazing lands, 2) to identify solutions to problems related to these grazing lands issues, and 3) to be a positive force in providing information and education that will address the issues and improve the management of grazing lands.
 
We propose to accomplish our education objectives in the following ways:
 

1. Utah GLCI Home Page.  We propose to develop a Utah GLCI home page on a USU server that will provide a prominent and accessible location for such a web site.  This Utah GLCI web site will provide up-to-date information or fact sheets on current grazing land and grazing management issues and programs; on grazing land conservation news; on people and projects recognized for effective grazing land stewardship; on management practices; and on notices of tours, demonstrations and other educational activities.  We propose to provide links to other home pages that provide current information on grazing land conservation and grazing management issues.  Maintaining and updating the home page will be a high priority activity.  An electronic bulletin board that allows users to ask questions and post responses will be constructed.  While this educational activity may not reach potential recipients who do not utilize computers and the Internet in seeking out information, it will be used today and, to a greater extent, in the future by progressive grazing land owners and managers familiar with gaining information electronically.
2. Printed Educational Material.  We propose to produce fact sheets or newsletters in the traditional printed form, providing much of the same information found on our web site, for distribution via mailings.  In addition, these fact sheets will be distributed through NRCS and USU Extension offices and at producer organization conferences and meetings.  One important kind of information to be distributed to private grazing lands interests is summary information on state and federal programs providing financial and technical assistance.  This information will give producers quick and easy references to available programs and will explain how to apply.
3.  Local Educational Activities.  We propose to increase local awareness of GLCI goals and objectives in all areas of the state through numerous, well-planned and promoted local activities such as tours.  We propose to host a minimum of one major tour each year which will bring statewide attention to specific local grazing land conservation activities.  The Steering Committee will provide assistance and support to local groups in planning and implementing activities.  Emphasis will be on peer education through exchange of experience and information by grazing land owners and managers.
4. Printed Promotional Material.  We propose to update and reprint the Utah GLCI information brochure for distribution (attached).  We will distribute this brochure in conjunction with tours and landowner/producer organization meetings.
5. GLCI Displays.  We propose to develop a series of displays that will illuminate the values that well-managed rangeland and pasture promote.  They would be used throughout the state by GLCI groups at county fairs and organization meetings.  The displays would be tailored to each audience by adjusting the theme, pictures and titles as appropriate.  For producer groups, displays would emphasize the importance that healthy rangeland makes to the economic well-being of their operations.  For other wildlife and other user groups, displays would promote the benefits that open space, well-managed grazing lands and managed grazing animals makes to wildlife habitat and society.
6. Demonstration Ranches and Projects.  We propose to identify and enlist ranches and farms with exceptionally good conservation plans focused on grazing lands as demonstrations.  Contacts will be made with NRCS and Extension offices to locate potential demonstration operations that have applied sound WHIP, WRP and EQIP land and grazing management practices for conservation.  These ranches and farms will be listed on the home page along with a picture of the ranch, practices applied and the name of a contact for the ranch.  Those interested can contact the cooperator for more information on the cost and benefits of the featured management practices to the operator, wildlife and society.

Projections indicate that by the year 2001, 75% of all households will have access to the Internet.  Educational materials and opportunities available electronically will experience increasing use as time passes.  We plan to take advantage of this trend to educate people with an interest in grazing land about the issues and management related to these lands.

We plan to extensively use "peer education," one of the most successful educational techniques, in transferring new ideas and technology.  Through local GLCI Coalition committees and activities landowners will have the opportunity to see and discuss management practices with other landowners who have implemented them, encouraging the application of sound grazing lands management practices.

The Utah GLCI Coalition Steering Committee, with more than 12 private, state and federal resource group represented by membership, is the vehicle that can effectively coordinate and facilitate the collection and dissemination of information to private grazing land owners.

Evaluation of Education Outcomes:

There are a number of ways outcomes of our educational efforts can be indicated.  These generally are based on documentation of a change in the activity of programs, participation in educational activities and in the number of requests for technical assistance in the areas of concern.  We plan to document the number of increased applications for participation in EQIP, WHIP and WRP programs.  It should be noted, however, that the EQIP program presently has many more applicants in Utah than can be funded with the present level of EQIP funding in the state.  Without a greater level of success in receiving EQIP funding, it is highly likely that interest in that program will wane.  We also plan to use documentation of requests for technical assistance for grazing lands-related conservation plans as another indicator of increased interest and knowledge about grazing lands management and watershed protection and improvement.  Other indicators we plan to record are number of participants in tours and other educational activities, number of hits on our home page, demand for educational materials, and demand for grazing land-related extension and NRCS assistance.

Addresses Local and Unique Needs Within the Area Specified:

Recent studies indicate that the average age of Utah farmers and ranchers is greater than 60 years.  Tremendous change will take place over the next few years as the current generation of farmers and ranchers ages and fades out of the picture.  With the high land values that exist as a result of urban expansion and pressure for recreational development along with relatively high inheritance taxes, the transfer of agricultural operations to the next generation of farmers and ranchers will be very difficult.  Although the members of the younger generation are better educated and have greater skills with computers and other new technologies, they face great financial challenges in continuing in farming and ranching.  While their fathers may have had experience that was good enough to base management on, experience alone is inadequate to meet today's demands on the new generation.  There is a great need to help educate young producers on technical assistance and conservation program availability and applicability.  Although members of the older generation may not have had, or felt they needed, conservation planning, the younger generation of farmers and ranchers are searching for help in increasing management precision and production efficiency, and often do not know what kind of assistance is available to them.

Also, there are "gaps" between federal agencies and the people who can use the data.  The GLCI Coalition Steering Committee, with its extensive farmer and rancher representation, is in a unique position to help facilitate the needs of both the users and the providers of information.  GLCI can balance educational efficiency with relevance to promote customer buy-in for grazing lands conservation.

Use of Existing Materials and Programs:

GLCI Coalition member will leverage all the materials from the partners (see below) into a format readily available to producers.  USU Extension and the USU College of Natural Resource will provide, technical assistance, facilities and other resources to support GLCI educational efforts.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide technical assistance and existing programs such as Conservation Planning, EQIP, WHIP, and WRP in support of the GLCI effort.  The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will provide technical assistance, programs such as the ARDL program and other resources in support of the GLCI effort.  The Utah Association of Conservation Districts (UACD) will provide support for the GLCI educational effort at the state level as well as locally in the seven zones.  The producer organization members of the GLCI Coalition will provide support at the state and local levels through their member networks.

Educational Providers (Partnerships):

Each of the GLCI Coalition member organizations will provide links to GLCI and educational opportunities through newsletter and other organization communication mechanisms.  Members include UACD, Utah Farmer Union, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Utah Dairymen Association, Utah Wool Growers Association, USU Extension, USU College of Natural Resources, NRCS, Utah Cattlemen's Association, Utah Farm Bureau Federation, Utah Section of the Society for Range Management, Utah division of Wildlife Resources, USDA Forage & Range Research Lab.  GLCI Coalition membership remains open to additional organizations and groups interested in grazing lands conservation and management.

Special Emphasis:

None of the actions proposed limit the involvement of any groups.  Activities proposed will be directed toward all groups involved with grazing lands, including those under-served in the past such as the small pasture owners, wildlife interest, tribal resource managers, environmental groups and others not associated with traditional grazing land agriculture in Utah.

Howard Johnson, Chair
Utah GLCI Coalition Steering Committee
4161 West 1010 North
Delta, UT  84624
Telephone: 435-8864-3379