Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno

1. Nevada and Great Basin Workshop for Big Sagebrush State and Transition Models, Accuracy before Precision Sherman Swanson, University of Nevada, Reno Co-convenors, Joel Brown, Gary Brakley Pat Shaver, and George Peacock NRCS

2. We can be better than our reputation, • but we cannot be better than our principles

3. Principle of economics – • Invest for the best marginal reaction

4. A useful management objective • Achievable, • Measurable, • Worthy of cost to achieve and measure it

5. Ecological thresholds are big -- REALLY BIG! • Fire frequency, • Intensity, • Invasive weeds, • Unnatural grazing, • other disturbances,

6. Principle of negotiations – • be hard on problems, • Be easy on people • Get the language right • Be hard on the problems • Get the science right

7. Reorganize what we know • to learn what we must.

8. Where Clements applies, • Use it correctly.

9. Where it does not, • Describe other transitions -- • before they become history.

10. Our society makes decisions • that require substantial investments and • achieve trivial results.

11. Until we put our thinking right, • we cannot persuade others • to make essential investments in rangeland management.

12. After we put our thinking right, • Society will fund rangeland management. • Any other course of action will seem silly.

13. Range people know a lot • Only some is recorded in a format useful for • focused prioritized decision making,

14. The symposium on the NRCS National Range Handbook • Ecological Sites • Vegetation • Thresholds • Accuracy before Precision

15. To get there, UNR, NRCS and GLTI held a workshop. • We focused on STMs • For Sagebrush sites • Great Basin • Intermountain West

16. Pooling our knowledge to • Record the ideas as accurately as possible • Before intensive investments.

17. We invited selected range ecologists from 7 States: • NRCS • FS, • BLM, and • Univ.

18. Reviewed STMs – Joe Brown, George Peacock etc. • Reviewed Sagebrush Ecology – Alma Winward • Looked at examples – Gary Brackley and Stan Boltz

19. Formed teams: Artrt, Artrv, Artrw, Artrw-sandy • Describe the States • Describe the Transitions • Present the models • Refine the models

20. What did we learn: • Terms need definition • Standards need protocol • Process in flux • Not 100% agreement • Much common thought • We’ll hold more workshops.

21. Until we put our thinking right, • we cannot persuade others • to make essential investments in rangeland management.

22. After we put our thinking right, • Society will fund rangeland management. • Any other course of action will seem silly.

23. Bad news • NV fires 1,600,000 acres • $42,000,000.

24. Good news • $42,000,000. • Focused on thresholds • First chance for economical transition • Last chance to not cross a threshold • Creates resistance against next threshold • We didn’t burn more -- no seed