A summit meeting in northeast Oregon this month will bring together landowners, state agencies and conservation groups to talk about the future of the state’s vast grazing lands.
Marci Schreder, stewardship program director for Wallowa Resources, the group organizing the summit around the theme “Deep Roots and Fresh Faces,” said it is a chance for stakeholders to learn from each other and strategize about how to contend with many challenges facing modern ranching, like invasive species, drought and wildfire.
“Conservation and agriculture are not opposing forces,” Schreder explained. “Through collaboration, technical support, locally-driven solutions, ranchers are leading meaningful efforts to care for the land in ways that really do benefit entire communities.”
Schreder added the summit will highlight new grazing technologies, including virtual fencing, which uses GPS-enabled collars to track and control where cows roam. She stressed the tool could save ranchers money and would cut down on physical fencing, benefiting wildlife. The second annual Northeast Rangeland Summit will be held March 18 in La Grande.
Schreder noted the summit will also focus on supporting the next generation of ranchers. She pointed out the average age for ranchers across the country is 65 and it is getting harder to replace them once they retire.
“A lot of young people are wanting to get into ranching that may not have the experience within their own families,” Schreder observed. “They’re seeking those mentoring opportunities.”
About 15 million acres are used for grazing cattle in Oregon, mostly in the southern and eastern parts of the state.
Source: Public News Service
