September - October 2006 Volume 58, Number 5

TTTTTexas Sectionexas Sectionexas Sectionexas Sectionexas SectionSociety for RangeSociety for RangeSociety for RangeSociety for RangeSociety for Range

ManagementManagementManagementManagementManagementProviding Leadership for the Stewardship of Rangelands

Based on Sound Ecological Principles

President’s Notes

The Inside Story...

Charles Anderson

President, TSSRM

HHHHH TSSRM 1st Annual NewMember Round-Up

HHHHH TSSRM Award Winners

HHHHH Ag Teacher Recognized

HHHHH Knox, Young RangeProfessional

HHHHH Moen Receives FellowAward

HHHHH Jackson Co. Rancher,Friend of Conservation

HHHHH Publications AwardWinners

HHHHH Webb Co. Extension AgentRecognized

HHHHH TSSRM Election Results

HHHHH Governer Designates Oct.Range Mgt. Month

It has been

a week sinceour AnnualMeeting endedin Del Rio andthings are re-turning to nor-mal. We hadan outstandingannual meet-ing.

Be sure totell the following people how muchyou appreciate their hard work. ChadEllis, Butch Taylor, Phillip Wright, BobLyons, Robert Moen, Reggie Quiett,Royce Seibman, Nick Garza, JohnAllen, Haden Keyser, StephenZuberbueler and Brad Teplicek.

A good friend and fellow memberasked me to discuss the key points Itried to make at the business meetinglast week. That may be hard to dosince I only had a few key words writ-ten down. The words were Time, Pri-ority, Retention of Members, Goals,Finances and Diversity.

TIME. As you know, TSSRM is avolunteer organization. We have nopaid staff to assist us with our mis-sion. I came up with a list of thosethings that vie for my time. I toldthose in Del Rio I use to think I juggledmy responsibilities, but I now realizethat my responsibilities are more likebooks. The one I am currently readingis the one that is occupying my atten-tion. Some books this year gathereddust until I was forced to pull it downto accomplish a specific task. I hopethat we never let our TSSRM bookgather dust on the shelf.

(See PRESIDENT’S NOTES on page 9)

PRIORITY. I guess priority could belisted with time since it is ourprioritization of our life that helps usdecide how we will allot the 24 hourswe have each day. The stewardshipof our rangeland resource should be apriority for each of us, and I believe itis. Our members have a passion forthe land.

RETENTION OF MEMBERS. This isnot a unique problem for TSSRM.This was a point of discussion duringthe Advisory Council meeting inVancouver in February. The trend weare seeing is that upon graduationmany college members do not renewtheir membership. Those students go-ing to work for a state or federalagency are more likely to continuetheir membership than those going intoprivate consulting. We were also toldthat a percentage of the members retir-ing elect not to renew their member-ship. Our section and society are go-ing to have to find ways to makemembership more meaningful for thesepeople.GOALS. The board has been workingon setting some specific goals forTSSRM. It is difficult to effectivelyplan when you have 3 meetings a year.I personally believe that having clearlydefined goals will be more importantfor TSSRM in the future. These goalswill help us determine how we allocateour resources of time and money. Isee one of our main goals to be havean annual meeting where we are ableto transfer technology and recognizeour members that are making a majorcontribution for rangelands.

FINANCES. Our section is fiscally

sound because we have had a numberof financially successful annual meet-ings. Couple this with a very success-ful SRM meeting in Ft. Worth, and thefact we have not been spending all themoney we budget each year. In thefuture this could change. I think weare seeing a trend where an annualmeeting with 200 registrants will be-come the norm. It may be harder inthe future to make a sufficient to runTSSRM for a year.

We are going to have to find someother areas of revenue to help us meetour mission. We have the mechanismto receive financial support from othersources. Our 501(c)3 status allows usthe opportunity to seek foundationsupport for specific projects. Our

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 2

Texas Section Officers and DirectorsPresident: Charles R. Anderson, P.O. Box 723, Menard, TX 76859-0723 Fax 325/396-4666, email: ags7576@verizon.net

Past President: Bob Knight, Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2126 TAMU,College Station, TX 77843-2126, 979/845-5557

Fax 979/8456430, email: bob-knight@tamu.edu

1st Vice President: Paul Loeffler, Texas General Land Office, 500 W. Ave. H,Box 2, Alpine, TX 79830, 432/837-3457, Fax 432/837-3395

email: paul.loeffler@glo.state.tx.us

2nd Vice President: Jerry L. Payne, P.O. Box 465, Henrietta, TX 76365-0465,940/781-2250, email: dlpayne465@hotmail.com

Secretary: Bruce Healy, NRCS District Conservationist, 9229 CR 530, P.O. Box67, Tynan, TX 78391-0067, 361/668-8361, email: tssrm_secretary@yahoo.com

Treasurer: Robert Moen, P.O. Box 43, Sonora, TX 76950-0043, 325/387-3168,Fax 325/387-5045, email: angora@sonoratx.ne

Director: Hoyt Seidensticker, 634 Waring Welfare Road, Comfort, TX 78013-3605, 210/414-6603, Fax 830/995-5298, email: hoyt@hctc.net

Director: William “Bill” Pinchak, P.O. Box 1658, Vernon, TX 76385-1658 940/552-9941 ext. 242, Fax 940/553-4357, email: w-pinchak@tamu.edu

Director: Timothy “Tim” W. Reinke, NRCS, 312 So. Main, Rm. 308, Victoria,TX 77901, 361/575-9542, Fax 361-575-9537, email: tim.reinke@tx.usda.gov

Director: Cody B. Scott, Angelo State University, Dept. of Agriculture 10888, SanAngelo, TX 76909, 325/942-2027, Fax 325/942-2183

email: cody.scott@angelo.edu

Director: Phillip N. Wright, 290 Ave. M, Hondo, TX 78861-1005, 830/426-3198,Fax 830/426-4491, email: phillip.wright@tx.usda.gov

Director: Robert K. Lyons, P.O. Box 1849, Texas A&M Research & ExtensionCenter, Uvalde, TX 78802-1849, 830/278-9151, Fax 830/278-4008

email rk-lyons@tamu.edu

Editor: Jeff Goodwin, 403 Pogue Ave., Eastland, TX 76448 254/629-1636, Fax 254/629-3269, email: jeff.goodwin@yahoo.com

Grass Roots, 403 Pogue Ave., Eastland, TX 76448, is published bimonthly by theTexas Section, Society for Range Management. Address inquiries to JeffGoodwin, Editor. Advertising is available for $25 per small ad per issue. Largerads available upon request.

Important DatesOct. 27 Range and Wildlife Management

SeminarCisco Junior College Ag Department

Nov. 13-17 Keith Blair Prescribed BurningSchoolsWelder Wildlife RefugeSinton

Dec. 4-8 Katie Prairie ConservancyHouston

Oct. 2007 TSSRM ANNUAL MEETINGLubbock, TX - Dates TBD

TSSRM 1st Annual New Member“Round-Up”

Dear Section Leaders:

On October 1, 2006, SRM will

launch its 1st Annual New Member

"Round-Up." This membership con-

test is for Sections who increase their

membership by at least 5% during the

contest period. The 1st Place Section

will be named 2006 "Round-Up

Contest RulesThe 1st Annual Membership "Round-Up" will run from October 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006.

To qualify for the contest, a Section must increase Regular & Student memberships by a minimum of 5% (Stu-

dent memberships cannot account for more than 25 percent of the total increase in membership). A list of each

sections 5% amount will be provided.

The membership drive is targeted at new members or lapsed members whose expiration was or prior to July

31, 2006.

Each Section will be provided with a list of eligible lapsed members from SRM Headquarters, along with

"Round-Up" Applications.

All applications and renewals must be postmarked or faxed on or before December 31, 2006.

For questions or additional "Round-Up" Applications, please contact Lesley Radtke, Director of Membership, at

303-986-3309 or via email at LRadtke@rangelands.org. Good Luck!!!

Boss," and will receive a certificate

and check for $1,000, and, have their

Section name added to the "Round-

Up Boss" plaque, which will be

proudly displayed in the reception

area of the SRM Headquarters in

Wheat Ridge, CO. The certificate &

check will be presented at the Mem-

bership Forum on Wednesday, Febru-

ary 14, 2007 during the 60th Annual

Meeting in Reno, NV. The 2nd

Place Section will receive a certifi-

cate and check for $500, also pre-

sented at the 60th Annual Meeting.

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 3

During its annual convention inDel Rio, the Texas Section Societyfor Range Management (TSSRM)honored Tom Hammer ofFredericksburg, Texas, with its Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service(NRCS) County Level award. Ham-mer is District Conservationist for theNRCS in Fredericksburg .

“Tom is a staunch supporter ofapplying sound conservation practicesto rangeland,” stated Charles Ander-son, TSSRM President and NRCSZone Range Management Specialistin San Angelo, Texas. “He is a leaderin his community and works with pro-ducers on a daily basis to help themdevelop conservation plans for theirland and understand their natural re-sources better.”

Hammer has been instrumental indeveloping a local range ecology andrange management workshop. He

The Holt Ranch in Reagan Countyreceived the “Outstanding RangelandManagement Award” from theTexas Section-Society for RangeManagement (TSSRM) during theirannual meeting held October 11-13 inDel Rio.

Receiving the award for HoltRanch were owners and managers,Tommy and Rhonda Holt. The Holtfamily, including daughter, Heather,sons Heath and Jerrod, operates15,000 acres in Reagan County. Inadditional to their deeded land, thefamily also operates a 6,700-acreUniversity of Texas Lands lease.

The Holt Ranch was recognizedbecause of extensive conservationpractices that have been put forth onthe ranch.

“We make our management deci-sions carefully,” states Tommy Holt.“We take care of what takes care ofus.”

Tommy has been involved withthe ranch his entire life. In 1986 he

Hammer Honored by TSSRM with NRCS County Level Award

worked with Fredericksburg Commu-nity Education to develop a plantidentification course that is nowtaught at Fredericksburg High School.He took the lead in establishing the

Gillespie Chapter of the Edward Pla-teau Prescribed Burn Association.He regularly helps landowners learnmore about planning and applyingprescribed burns in a safe and effec-tive manner.

Hammer works with the GillespieCounty Soil and Water ConservationDistrict, Texas Cooperative Extensionand other partners to host severalrange tours and workshops eachyear. These events usually have 350-400 producers in attendance.

The TSSRM annually recognizesindividuals who have directly contrib-uted to range management accom-plishments at the county level. Therecipients of this award are selectedfrom all the county nominees by acommittee of representatives fromuniversity faculty, federal and stategovernment agencies, and conserva-tion and environmental organizations.

Tom Hammer (left), District Conservationist forthe USDA-Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) in Fredericksburg, acceptsthe NRCS County Level award from CharlesAnderson, TSSRM President and NRCS ZoneRange Management Specialist in San Angelo,Texas.

Holt Ranch in Reagan County Honored by TSSRM withOutstanidng Rangeland Management Award

and his wife purchased the ranchfrom his grandmother, making him thethird generation to operate the ranch.

Mesquite and juniper are a prob-lem on many areas of the ranch, sothey have implemented managementpractices such as root plowing, rollerchopping and reseeding to improvegrasses. The brush work is done instrips, to provide wildlife habitat. Her-

bicides have also been used to helpcontrol prickly pear.

With their present managementsystem, dense perennial grasses nowdominate the landscape. Because ofthe good ground cover, rainfall infil-tration into the soil has greatly im-proved, reducing erosion and sedi-mentation problems.

The Holt’s management systemincludes a very flexible stocking rate.The area is prone to drought, so theyare always ready to reduce livestocknumbers according to the condition ofthe land. They also manage their pas-tures carefully, allowing for neces-sary regrowth before turning cattleback into a pasture.

“The sideoats grama and greensprangletop have really respondedwell to their light stocking rates,”states Stephen Zuberbueler, districtconservationist for the USDA-Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service(NRCS). Zuberbueler has worked

Rhonda and Tommy Holt (left and center) ac-cept the Outstanding Rangeland ManagementAward from Charles Anderson, TSSRM Presi-dent and NRCS Zone Range ManagementSpecialist in San Angelo, Texas

(continued on following page)

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 4

Dr.WayneHanselka,AssociateDepart-ment Headand Exten-sion Pro-gram

Leader at the Texas CooperativeExtension Corpus Christi Researchand Extension Center, was the re-cipient of the 2006 Outstanding Con-tribution to Range ManagementAward at the recent meeting of theTexas Section Society for RangeManagement (TSSRM) in Del Rio,Texas.

This is the most prestigiousaward presented by the TSSRM. Ithas been awarded annually since1958 to individuals who have made aparticularly significant contribution tothe science and art of rangelandmanagement that is worthy of spe-cial recognition. The recipient is rec-ognized as a leader who is a progres-sive and enterprising and one who isalways looking ahead to the improve-ment of rangelands and range man-agement.

Previous recipients of this awardhave made a significant impact onthe improvement of rangeland re-sources and the advancement of thescience and art of range manage-ment is truly exceptional.

“Dr. Hanselka certainly belongsamong this elite group of scientists,researchers, teachers, advisors, andranchers who have received theaward in the past,” stated Charles

Hanselka Honored by TSSRMfor Oustanding Contribution to Range Management

Anderson, Texas Section SRM(TSSRM) President and NRCSZone Range Management Specialistin San Angelo, Texas.

In his career as a range profes-sional for over thirty years, Dr.Hanselka has earned an internationalreputation for his innovative and ef-fective Extension programs and ac-tivities in rangeland ecology andmanagement. His work is unique be-cause of his ability to integratecounty-based Extension program-ming with regional, state, national,and even international efforts.

Hanselka’s career has been de-voted to maintaining and improvingthe health of rangelands as well assustainability of ranching operations.The results of his research and dem-onstration projects as well as hisother professional activities havebeen adopted and successfullyimplemented in South Texas, theSouthwestern U.S., and in Mexico.

He was a co-leader in the devel-opment of one of the first programsin the nation designed to expand themeat goat industry, which led to thedevelopment of similar programsthroughout the southwestern statesand in Mexico. He has developedprograms to integrate range, live-stock, and wildlife management witheconomics to optimize ranch profitand sustainability while protectingrangeland forage resources. He hasdone extensive studies of non-tradi-tional forages such as prickly pear,saltbush, and leadtree as potentialsources of nutrients for livestock.

Additionally, he has developedforage management strategies forbuffelgrass forage systems and hasdeveloped comprehensive demon-stration programs to determine effi-cacy, economics, and forage re-sponses of available herbicide brushcontrol options.

“Wayne Hanselka has made atremendous contribution to rangemanagement in South Texas overthe past several decades,” states JimDonnell, rancher from Fowlerton,Texas. “His expertise in dealing withthe overall improvement of range-land has been a great help to our op-eration and the surrounding area.”

“He has made a difference, notonly for Extension within his as-signed Districts, but also for range-land owners and managers acrossTexas, the Southwest and Mexico,and most importantly for the valuablerangeland resources so important toeveryone,” says Dr. Allen McGinty,Professor & Texas Cooperative Ex-tension Range Specialist at the SanAngelo Research & Extension Cen-ter.

Hanselka’s innovative program-ming, integrating county based pro-gramming, with regional, state, na-tional and international efforts hasresulted in the improved ecologicalhealth and productivity of range-lands throughout Texas, the South-west and Mexico, resulting in im-proved quantity and quality of waterfrom rangeland watersheds, en-hanced wildlife habitat and more ef-ficient livestock production systems.

with the Holts on many of their re-source improvement projects.

“The rocky hillsides on the ranchhave a vegetation cover that reallyexemplifies the benefits of their goodrange management,” Zuberbuelerstates.

Wildlife is another important as-pect of the Holt ranch. Whitetaildeer, quail and doves are abundant

on the ranch. The Holts have imple-mented two different hunting strate-gies. On one part of their operation,the ranch is managed for packagedhunts, while the other part of theranch is leased to a group for the en-tire season.

“Our livestock operation has tocompliment our hunting operation,”Holt says. “All of our grazing and

brush management decisions aremade with the wildlife in mind.”

The TSSRM Outstanding Range-land Management award acknowl-edges, recognizes and honors thosewho dedicate themselves and theirtalents to the conservation and wiseuse of our renewable natural re-sources.

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 5

Dr. Robert Lyons, Professor andTexas Cooperative Extension RangeSpecialist at the Uvalde Researchand Extension Center was the re-cipient of the Outstanding Achieve-ment Award at the recent meetingof the Texas Section Society forRange Management (TSSRM) inDel Rio, Texas. This award is pre-sented to an individual whose contri-butions to the advancement of thescience and art of rangeland man-agement have been determined to beeminently noteworthy.

Dr. Lyons was honored in recog-nition of the contributions he hasmade in research leading to the solu-tion of major problems and develop-ment of new technologies related torange and related resource manage-ment.

Dr. Lyons has been the first au-thor of 11 Extension publications, in-cluding seven publications in theRange Detect Series on a variety oftopics related to forage quality, graz-ing behavior, stocking rate, grazingdistribution, body condition scoring,and livestock nutrition.

He is a leader in range cattle nu-

Ag Teacher Honored by TSSRM Award

Dr. Robert Lyons, Professor and Texas Co-operative Extension Range Specialist at theUvalde Research and Extension Center ac-cepts the TSSRM Outstanding AchievementAward from Charles Anderson, TSSRMPresident and NRCS Zone Range Manage-ment Specialist in San Angelo, Texas.

trition analysis utilizing Near InfraredSpectroscopy (NIRS) fecal sampleanalysis and body condition scoring.Dr. Lyons is responsible for develop-ing NIRS equations to estimate for-age quality from fecal sample analy-sis. The equations were a major fac-tor in the establishment of the Graz-ing Land Animal Nutrition Lab atTexas A&M. He also assisted withdevelopment of the Nutritional Bal-

ance Analyzer (NutBal) computerdecision software program includingtesting the software and validatingcattle performance estimates. Heassisted with development of NutBalPro Windows version to incorporateprotein partitioning into the model.

Dr. Lyons was among the first touse GPS/GIS technology to studygrazing animal management in Texasand is a leader in using these tech-nologies to understand grazing ani-mal behavior. His research in theuse of GPS and GIS to investigaterange cattle pasture use and distribu-tion patterns has identified thresholdsfor pasture use by cattle in relationto percent rock cover and brush den-sity.

Dr. Lyons has been recognizednationally and internationally for hisexpertise in the GPS/GIS and rangenutrition areas. Three of his publica-tions have been translated into Span-ish. He has received reprint requestsfrom Spain, Mexico, and Iran. Hehas received requests for assistancewith GPS/GIS from Utah and Af-rica.

The Texas Section Society forRange Management (TSSRM) re-cently presented John Osborne,Menard High School Vocational Ag-riculture Teacher, with the CountyLevel Award for Vocational Agri-culture Teacher. Osborne receivedthe award on Thursday, October 12during the TSSRM Annual Meetingin Del Rio.

“John has done an outstanding jobof exposing students to range man-agement principles” stated CharlesAnderson, TSSRM President andUSDA-Natural Resources Conser-vation Service (NRCS) Zone RangeManagement Specialist in SanAngelo, Texas. “As a result of hiscurriculum, his students will under-stand range management no matterwhat line of work they enter.”

Osborne is a 23 year veteran of

Lyons Honored by TSSRM for Oustanding Achievement

the vocational agriculture teacherfield; 14 of those have been atMenard High School. He regularlyworks with the Menard County Co-

operative Extension Agent andUSDA-NRCS range professionals tohelp improve his ability to teach andcoach his students on range manage-ment.

His students participate in rangejudging and plant identification con-tests across the state. Many of hisstudents have attended 4-H and FFArange camps sponsored by theTSSRM.

The TSSRM annually recognizesindividuals who have directly contrib-uted to range management accom-plishments at the county level. Therecipients of this award are selectedfrom all the county nominees by acommittee of representatives fromuniversity faculty, federal and stategovernment agencies, and conserva-tion and environmental organizations.

John Osborne (left), Vocational Agricutlureteacher at Menard High School , accepts theVocational Agriculture Teacer County Levelaward from Charles Anderson, TSSRMPresident and NRCS Zone Range Manage-ment Specialist in San Angelo, Texas.

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 6

Lee Knox, Rangeland Manage-ment Specialist for the Natural Re-sources Conservation Service(NRCS) in Abilene, was the recipientof the Outstanding Young RangeProfessional Award at the recentmeeting of the Texas Section Societyfor Range Management (TSSRM) inDel Rio, Texas. This award is pre-sented to a TSSRM member who hasdemonstrated extraordinary potentialand promise as a future leader in therange management profession. It isan acknowledgement of past and cur-rent accomplishments, as well as anencouragement for continued out-standing performance by young menand women in the early stages oftheir professional career.

Knox received a B.S. in Range-land Ecology & Management fromTexas A&M in 1996. He received hisM.S. in Range Science from NewMexico State in 1998 with a 4.0GPA. While in college, he receivednumerous awards for his academicachievements and for his leadership

Knox Honored by TSSRM As Outstanding

Young Range Professional

skills.He began his professional career

as an Extension Agent. He coachedseveral 4-H teams including Plant,Livestock, and Range Evaluations inGrayson, Kendall, and Kerr Counties.He was recognized as the Outstand-ing Young Extension Agent in 2002.For the past five years he has been

Lee Knox, Rangeland Management Specialistfor the Natural Resources Conservation Ser-vice (NRCS) in Abilene accepts TSSRMaward as Outstanding Young Range Profes-sional from Charles Anderson, TSSRM Presi-dent and NRCS Zone Range ManagementSpecialist in San Angelo, Texas

employed as a Rangeland Manage-ment Specialist with the NRCS inAbilene, TX. He was selected to bethe Conservation Security Programwatershed manager for the UpperColorado watershed in 2004. He willhave the responsibility to manage allaspects of that program in a 5 countyarea.

Lee is committed to youth educa-tion. He has assisted with theTSSRM Youth Range Workshopsince 2001. He uses his personal va-cation time to assist with the 4-HRange and Plant ID contests atTexas A&M as a representative ofTSSRM. Knox has made numerouspresentations on a variety of topicsrelated to range management at local,state, and national conferences andworkshops. His passion for therangeland resource is obvious and im-pressive. Knox was recently electedas a Director of TSSRM and willserve a three-year term from 2007through 2009.

Robert Moen, Research Techni-cian at the Texas Agricultural Experi-ment Station Sonora Research Sta-tion, was the recipient of the 2006Fellow Award at the recent meetingof the Texas Section Society forRange Management (TSSRM) in DelRio, Texas. The title of Fellow is con-ferred upon members of the TSSRMin recognition of exceptional serviceto the Section and its programs in ad-vancing the science and art or range-land resource management.

In order for a member to be con-sidered a candidate for the FellowAward, the nominee must have beena member of the Texas Section for aminimum of 10 consecutive years andhave a record of significant participa-tion, contribution, and service to the

Moen Honored by TSSRM’s Fellow Award

Robert Moen, Research Technician at theTexas Agricultural Experiment Station SonoraResearch Station, accepts the 2006 TSSRMFellow Award from Charles Anderson,TSSRM President and NRCS Zone RangeManagement Specialist in San Angelo, Texas.

Texas Section during that time. Thatservice must have been widely effec-

tive and significant to the Section.This high honor is granted only tothose who have demonstrated excep-tional dedication and service on acontinuing basis to the Texas Section.

Moen is a long-time member ofthe TSSRM and is one of the mostdedicated, tireless, and unselfishworkers in the Section. He hasserved diligently in some of the mostvital roles for the Texas Section, buthis most significant contributions havebeen in the finances of TSSRM.Moen has served as Audit Coordina-tor and Financial Audit Chairman forseveral years. He has been Treasurersince 2005. His honesty, integrity,dedication, and loyalty are beyond re-proach.

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 7

Jackson

County rancher

Vance Mitchell

was recognized

by the Texas

Section Society

for Range

Management

(TSSRM). He

received the County Level Award for

the “Friend of Conservation” cat-

egory at the Society’s annual meeting

held October 11-13th in Del Rio. This

award recognizes Mitchell for his

special efforts in promoting rangeland

management issues on the Mid-Gulf

Coast of Texas. The TSSRM is a

professional organization dedicated to

proper stewardship of Texas range-

land resources.

Mitchell’s interest started as a

youth on his family’s ranch near

Lolita, Texas. He went on to receive

a B.S. in Range Science in 1979 from

Texas A&M in College Station. After

returning to Jackson County, Vance

married his wife, Eileen and raised

their three children in the town of

Edna while managing his family’s

ranches. In the last seven years he

has also worked as a trust officer

managing property in trusts and es-

Jackson County Rancher Recognized As “Friend of Conservation”tates for the Wells Fargo Bank in

Victoria.

Besides hosting A&M student

tours on his ranch, Vance has hosted

several Jackson County Cattle Raiser

Association field days. He was cho-

sen due to his innovativeness in using

the latest technology and adapting it

to the unique situation on his ranch

and many challenges facing the Gulf

Coast rancher. Mitchell uses many

available resources including Stan

Parson’s School for Intensive Grazing

Management and USDA- Natural

Resources Conservation Service to

implement good range management

practices. He was awarded the

“Conservation Rancher of the Year”

by the Jackson Soil and Water Con-

servation District.

When the Coast Prairie Coalition

of the Grazing Lands Conservation

Initiative Steering committee was

created in 2002, Mitchell was asked

to be President. The area covered by

this Coalition has grown from 9 to 23

counties. Under his direction, they

have done several tours showcasing

rancher’s efforts to improve their

rangeland. They have also hosted

workshops on intensive grazing, inno-

vative fencing and brush management

techniques. They have gotten grants

to look into invasive species on the

Gulf Coast to help control them in a

cost effective manner to save our na-

tive grazing lands from decline. The

two species targeted were the run-

ning live oak and the flathead rice

sedge. When these species take over,

there is no grass underneath for graz-

ing or erosion control.

On his family ranch, he has ro-

tated his grazing and periodic burning

to bring back his native grasses to the

better grasses including Big

Bluestem. He has attacked the brush

with different approaches such as

grubbing, cut-stump treatment and

spraying. On the part of ranch that

was in Riceland, he has brought it

back to grass, Gordo bluestem, by

simply rotating his cattle and spraying

for weeds when needed. Mitchell is

in a constant search for better, more

efficient ways to handle his brush. He

is currently working on broadcast

spraying with 40 gal/ac of water with

Grazon P+D or Tordon on rosehedge

and multi-stemmed huisache less than

6 feet tall with great success. He is

always willing to share his experience

and knowledge with anyone wanting

to know.

Category I – Ansely, R.J.,H.T. Wiedemann, M.J.

Castellano and J.E. Slosser.

2006. Herbaceous restorationof juniper dominated grasslands

with chaining and fire. Range-

land Ecology and Management59:171-178.

Nomination: Lee Knox

Category II – Hanselka, C.

Wayne and Richard Teague.2005. Maintaining Healthy

Rangeland Watersheds with

Livestock Grazing. CattlemanMagazine Vol. XCI No. 8: 76-

89. Texas and Southwestern

Cattle Raiser’s Association, FortWorth, Texas. Nomination:

Barron Rector

The Envelope, Please!Publication Award Winners

Category III – Ortega-S.,J.A. and F.C. Bryant. 2005.

Cattle management to enhance

wildlife habitat in south Texas.Bulletin of the Casear Kleberg

Wildlife Research Institute.

Management Bulletin No. 6.Nomination: J.A. Ortega-S.

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 8

George Gonzales, county exten-sion agent for agriculture in Webbcounty has been recognized by theTexas Section Society for RangeManagement (TSSRM). He receivedthe County Level Award - CountyExtension Agent category at theSociety’s annual meeting held re-cently in Del Rio. The award recog-nizes the efforts and effectiveness ofhis Extension programming in Webbcounty. The TSSRM is a professionalorganization dedicated to properstewardship of Texas rangeland re-sources.

Mr. Gonzales’ career with TexasCooperative Extension spans 26years. He served the first two yearsin Bee County and the remainder inhis current position as a WebbCounty extension agent for agricul-ture. During this time he has been animportant component of proper man-agement of rangeland resources andimplementation of educational pro-grams involving many people and en-tities. His planning is complete fromissue identification to securing of fi-nancial resources. He is a teamplayer as well as an innovator, devel-oping programming concepts andleads his clientele, colleagues, and thecommunity-at-large behind those con-cepts. The results have been a wide-ranging array of rangeland programsthat have benefited his clientele, thecommunities in Webb county, and therangeland resources of south Texas.

Rangeland-related educationalprograms have included topics and is-sues such as prescribed burning, eco-nomic considerations of management

Nominations and Elections Committee Chair Barron Rector announced the results of the recent election at theSection Business Meeting in Del Rio. Melony Sikes, Program Liaison for Zone 2 in San Angelo with the NaturalResources Conservation Service, was elected to serve as the Section Second Vice President for 2007. Two Di-rectors were elected to serve 3-year terms beginning in 2007 and include Don Cox, a Range Conservationist withUniversity Lands in Andrews and Lee Knox, Range Management Specialist with the Natural Resources Conser-vation Service in Abilene. Congratulations to these individuals who will serve to lead the Texas Section for the up-coming years. The Nominations and Elections Committee will be soliciting nominations for Section office through-out the year. Past President Jenny Pluhar will Chair the Nominations and Elections committee in 2007.

Webb County Extension Agent Recognized by TSSRM

practices, buffelgrass establishmentand management, integrated resourcemanagement, brush sculpting, me-chanical and chemical management,herbicide rates and timing, evaluatingforage supplies, stocking rates andcarrying capacity, and managing fordrought. Wildlife habitat managementis an integral part of this program-ming. Methodologies have includedtraining meetings, conferences, tour/field days, and seminars. Extensiveuse of mass media, including TV,news print, and newsletter, is a majorprogramming component.

During his twenty six years in Ex-tension, George has worked directlywith agricultural producers, urban andrural landowners, agri-businesses,feed dealers and contractors, andcommodity groups such as the TexasBeef Industry Council, Texas andSouthwestern Cattle-Raisers Asso-ciation and the Society for Range

Management. Cooperative educa-tional programming efforts have alsobeen carried out with numerous state,federal, and local agencies and orga-nizations including Texas Parks andWildlife Department, Texas Depart-ment of Agriculture, Natural Re-sources Conservation Service, and theProduction Credit Association ofSouth Texas as well as local bankingand other financial institutions.

And, he has also been afforded theopportunity to work internationallywith producers in northern Mexico,particularly, the Asociacion GanaderaLocal De Nuevo Laredo - Guerreroand Asociacion Nacional DeGnaderos Diversificados CriadoresDe Fauna. Over 900 South Texas andnorthern Mexico producers have par-ticipated in these educational interna-tional programs which have greatlyfostered a strong relationship betweenTexas and Mexico ranchers, agri-business organizations, and MexicanUniversities in Saltillo and Monterrey.

Not only adults have benefitedfrom his programs. He has also con-ducted, or provided leadership, formany programming efforts for Webbcounty youth. His 4-H programs havea strong natural resources component.He conducts annual agriculture lead-ership tours for youth on localranches. He also conducts an annualyouth Wildlife/Natural ResourceCamp. Over 275 youth have attendedthis camp with resulting positive im-pacts on youth outdoor education andacceptance.

George and his wife, Diana, andtheir two children reside in Laredo.

George Gonzales, county extension agent foragriculture in Webb county, accepts theCounty Level TSSRM Award for County Ex-tension Agent of the year from CharlesAnderson, TSSRM President and NRCS ZoneRange Management Specialist in San Angelo,Texas.

TSSRM Election Results for 2007 Officers and Directors

September - October 2006 Grass Roots Page 9

small landowner publication is an ex-ample of what can be done when youbecome determined to fund a project.It took some work, but the outcomewas worth far more than the energyexpended.

These are my perspectives andyours may be different which bringsup the last statement…DIVERSITY.

We have a lot of diversity in our sec-tion; college professors, extension per-sonnel, land management agency per-sonnel, non-governmental organizationemployees and producers. Our mem-bers have diverse educational and ex-periential backgrounds. It can make itdifficult to come to consensus, but Itruly believe it is what adds strength toour section and society.

Charles

PRESIDENT’S NOTEScontinued from page 1

A natural Texas treasure

is usually only a short drive from

about anywhere in the Lone Star

State.

“The nice thing about this treasure

is that it can be enjoyed for very little

cost,” according to Charles Ander-

son, President of the Texas Section

of the Society for Range Manage-

ment, and  Zone Range Management

Specialist for the Natural Resources

Conservation Service. The treasure

is Texas’s native grass rangeland.

Well over one-half of the state’s

land surface is rangeland, including

the short-grass blue grama-

buffalograss in the high plains, the

bluestem tall grass prairies and

savanna’s of the eastern part of the

state. One of the most visible signs of

this natural treasure is sideoats

grama, Texas’s state grass.  How-

ever, October is the month to also be

looking for Indiangrass and big

bluestem. The glowing golden color

of the Indiangrass  and the turkeyfoot

appearance of big bluestem seed

heads is a photographer’s reverie! 

And do not overlook the colorful

abundance and variety of wildflow-

ers.

To celebrate this great resource,

the Governor of Texas has desig-

nated October as Range Manage-

ment Month. This month was chosen

to publicly recognize what the state’s

ranchers and wildlife managers have

known for a long time; the value of

rangeland. Join us in celebrating

Range Management Month.  Range-

lands that are kept in a healthy condi-

tion by good management benefit

all Texans by helping to keep the air

cleaner by reducing wind erosion,

keeping the water cleaner by filtering

out sediment and pollutants, providing

a resource base for food and fiber,

and by providing excellent wildlife

Governor Designates October Range Management Month in TexasMark Moseley, Range Management Specialist

habitat.

So Anderson suggests that if you

want a spirit refreshing experience,

grab your camera, find a well man-

aged rangeland, seek out the best

angle and take your best shot to cap-

ture native bluestems, Indiangrass,

and gramas at their very best. If you

are not a photographer, just take a

lawn chair and find a quiet roadside

with a view and simply enjoy the

sounds of the rangelands.

NOTICENOTICENOTICENOTICENOTICETSSRM Members,

The TSSRM “Grassroots” Newsletter and notices have gone to electronic format for those mem-

bers who have the ability to receive it. Please log onto the SRM website at http://

www.rangelands.org/srm.shtml to check your email validity in your personal information account.

We have been receiving several email return notifications. We ask you to do this to ensure that

you are receiving your TSSRM newsletter and notices, in a timely manner. Thank you for your

continued support for Texas rangelands.

Jeff Goodwin

TSSRM Newsletter Editor