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Leadership from USDA’s land management agencies had the opportunity to share some of their views on natural resource and sustainability issues at the Third National Conference on Grazing Lands held in mid-December in St. Louis, MO. Here, we highlight some of their comments:

1. How will sustainability on America’s forest and rangelands be achieved in the future?
   Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the US Forest Service, emphasizes that the Forest Service mission is to “sustain the health of forest and grasslands for the benefit of people.” With 193 million acres across 42 states to manage, he says the Forest Service recognizes they can’t accomplish their mission by focusing on only public or private lands.
   
   Holtrop says, “We need to think and act across boundaries and work together with landowners, other agencies and the public.”
   
   He adds that the definition of sustainable also needs to be kept top of mind by all involved. “It’s important to recognize you’re not successful in doing it for a year or a few years – it is forever. Through our efforts we need to think about connecting future generations to the land.”
   
   Likewise, Arlen Lancaster, chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, says his agency is focused on helping landowners achieve sustainable natural resources by being an agency that provides science. “Our strength is providing technical expertise. We want to be able to provide the technical ability so private landowners are ready to meet new challenges on the land such as invasive species, air quality or new uses,” Lancaster says.

2. What are some of the land challenges that need to be overcome?
   Holtrop says two of the greatest challenges are the threat of fire and fuels buildup and the threat of invasive species. And he says these apply to rangelands as much as forests.
   
   When we talk about fire we most commonly think of forests in the West, but the rangeland fires last year in Oklahoma and Texas are examples of the possible impact to rangelands, Holtrop points out.
   Regarding solutions, Holtrop says, “We need healthy ecosystems to sustain these threats.”

3. Where does recreation fit in?
   Holtrop says, “We need to provide the opportunity for recreation because it connects people to the land. But if it is unmanaged it can negatively impact the land/ecosystems and create ill will with land owners.”
   He anticipates unmanaged recreation is going to be a threat that grows. Thus, he says we need to be proactive in managing recreational use and finding a balance in providing recreation opportunities while also protecting the land.
   Lancaster also says, “There’s a great desire by people to get out on the land.” He says farmers and ranchers should use that to their advantage as an opportunity to share the economic and environmental importance of grazing lands.
   “Farmers and ranchers are the first best stewards of the land,” he says, and suggests they need to tell the story of their livelihood and how they not only produce food, but cleaner air and water, and habitat as well as open space.
   
   4. How can we slow the loss of open space?
   Both Holtrop and Lancaster recognize that the loss of open space is an issue that is escalating. They agree that the best way to slow that loss is to get society to value the benefits that grazing lands and open space provide – such as clean water and wildlife habitat. “Valuing environmental services is a key to slowing the loss of open space. So the American society knows what they are losing,” Holtrop says.
   Lancaster adds, “Farmers and ranchers need to be able to talk about what they provide for society. It costs more to service a subdivision. There’s an economic impact.”
   
   Bob Budd, formerly with the Nature Conservancy and now executive director of the Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Fund for Wyoming, agrees that open space provided by natural forests and grazing lands has great value. He believes markets will continue to emerge for lands with these attributes, and landowners may eventually be paid for scenic values, wetlands, mitigation, critical habitat, and carbon sequestration.
   “I do believe we’ll see a time when landowners will be paid for providing habitat (i.e. for black footed ferret, prairie dogs, etc.), Budd concludes.

4. Any final thoughts?
   Lastly, these land managers say the key to the future will be the ability to work together – among industries and agencies – in educating landowners and the general public about the value and importance of rangelands and grasslands.
   From the NRCS standpoint, Lancaster also says he intends to make conservation easier and more accessible for landowners primarily through how Farm Bill programs are administered.
   
   He says making his agency accountable in being able to quantify what services are being provided to landowners is also essential.
   
   But most importantly he says the most sustainable approach to conservation is to keep it voluntary for landowners. He concludes, “Unless you have landowners who are willing to implement conservation practices, our technical services and programs don’t mean anything. Fortunately, most landowners want to be good stewards.”