Society for Range Management to Hold Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Jan. 25 - 30 1/21/2004
From: Sam Albrecht of the Society for Range Management, 303-986-3309; http://www.rangelands.org News Advisory: Biodiversity, invasive weeds, wildfires, wildlife management, rangeland management, ranching and suburban pressures are all to be featured during the 57th Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management at the Grand America/Little America Hotels in Salt Lake City, Jan. 25-30. With the theme "Rangelands in Transition," the meeting will bring together more than 1700 ecologists, range scientists, public and private land managers, policy makers, students and others interested in rangelands. More than 50 symposia, technical sessions, workshops, and poster sessions will be framed by field trips to Antelope Island, Ogden Bay, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and Snow Basin where participants will learn about Utah's natural resources and resource management challenges. USDA's Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Mark Rey, who oversees both the Forest Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, will speak on Monday morning. BLM Director Kathleen Clarke and other resource management agency leaders will address national issues related to changes on the nation's rangelands on Tuesday morning. The Quivira Coalition's Executive Director Courtney White will speak about how the 'Radical Center' is bringing environmentalists, ranchers, and natural resource managers closer together on Thursday afternoon. The Quivira Coalition is a diverse group organized to foster ecological, economic and social health on western landscapes through education, innovation, collaboration, and progressive public and private land stewardship. More information at: http://www.quiviracoalition.org/ . The "Wild Women of the Range," an association of professional women working in range education, research, and management will meet on Monday evening, Jan. 26. Andy Kerr and George Wuerthner both representing the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign will address "The Proposed Voluntary Grazing Permit Buyout Act" on Thursday morning. Symposia presentations will range from global climate change to 'the micro-wonder of desert biological soil crusts.' A trade show featuring land management technologies and products will showcase modern technology and natural resource management tools. The media can find additional information about the Society for Range Management and the 2004 annual meeting in Salt Lake City by visiting the Society's website at: http://www.rangelands.org/srm.shtml . Members of the media are encouraged to attend. Press registration for all sessions is available at no charge to all members of the press who can demonstrate appropriate credentials. For more information about the meeting, or to register as a member of the media, contact Ann Harris, SRM 303-986-3309, or amharris@rangelands.org. Beginning Sunday, Jan. 25, the Society will staff a press office in the Hermitage Room on the third floor of the Grand America Hotel where press kits will be available and media interviews can be arranged. ------ The Society for Range Management has members in 48 countries and is the world's most knowledgeable organization concerning rangelands and their renewable natural resources. |