Central Grasslands Center Starts Online Range Managers Forum

North Dakota State University’s Central Grasslands Research Extension Center has added a Range Managers Forum to its Web site.

“The objective of the forum is to provide a helpful and informative discussion board for range and grassland managers in North Dakota,” says center rangeland specialist Chuck Lura. “This forum will allow everyone from the novice to the well-seasoned manager to swap news, post and answer questions, exchange views and in other ways communicate relevant information in a supportive environment.”

The site is expected to provide dialogue and information on any topic concerning range and grassland management. To make it easy and efficient to use, the forum is divided into 14 discussion topics, including drought; hay and other forages; grazing systems, grazing distribution, rotations and stocking rates; water and water developments; range monitoring; and animal issues.

The forum can be accessed through the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center’s Web site at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/streeter. Click on Range Managers Forum. People wanting to participate need to register, which they can do easily and quickly by creating a profile.

The forum is a cooperative effort between the Research Extension Center, which is near Streeter, and the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition.

According to Gene Goven, Turtle Lake area rancher and chair of the coalition, producers have needed this kind of forum.

“There will be a ripple effect here” Goven says. “By facilitating the sharing of ideas, useful information will reach a much wider and varied audience.”

The forum is an enhancement of the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center’s efforts to assist range managers in setting up and maintaining sustainable rangeland monitoring procedures. The forum was constructed through financial support from NDSU, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust and Ducks Unlimited.

“We are excited to offer this discussion board as an educational tool contributing to improved range management in North Dakota,” says Paul Nyren, center director.

For more information about the forum, contact Lura at (701) 424-3606 or chuck.lura@msub.nodak.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication