The Society for Range Management will have its 78th annual meeting Feb. 9 to 13 in Spokane, Washington. Each year, the international group convenes individuals who manage, conserve and enjoy rangelands for several days of educational workshops, technical tours, awards ceremonies and committee meetings in which direction is set for the society’s year ahead.
This year’s theme, “Healthy Rangelands—Sustainable World,” defines the focus of the event. “Healthy Rangelands” are emphasized, and particularly the ecosystem services they provide as recently summarized by SRM in the document “Rangeland Ecosystem Services: Connecting Nature and People.” A “Sustainable World,” in which people thrive well into the future and meet the characteristics outlined in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, is another cornerstone of the meeting.
The agenda features technical sessions and oral and poster presentations with these themes, and their intersection, in mind. Further expanding on the theme, a film festival will be hosted on Feb. 9 that will feature short films from around the world focused on international rangelands.
Serving a diverse cross-section of rangelands stakeholders, there are topics of interest for ranchers, scientists, range professionals and students alike thanks to the presenting sponsors the United States Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
This year, the annual producer’s forum will be at 10:20 a.m. Feb. 10. Speakers of note include Allan Savory (virtual); Alejandro Carrillo and John Lundgren. The forum will feature conversation about the science, practice and application of holistic and regenerative land management. Producers are encouraged and welcome to attend this one-day forum.
Students can network with professionals from a wide realm of rangeland careers and partake in a job fair where agencies like the NRCS, Forest Service and BLM will have multiple employment opportunities available. Much anticipated student competitions will build up excitement for the final session, where awardees are honored for their hard work and dedication to the field.
All attendees will enjoy plenty of time for networking and socializing during events like the Welcome Trade Show Mixer, Section and Agency socials and live music and dancing. For those interested in getting outside and exploring more of the Spokane area, social tours will include a visit to the Historic Silver Valley, a Spokane city tour and a focused tour on “Fur Trades and the Indian Tribe.”
Once again, there will be a virtual meeting platform for those who cannot attend in person. Select technical sessions will be live streamed and recorded on the virtual meeting website and app as they occur in Spokane, so virtual participants can ask questions of speakers and interact during sessions.
Pre-registration closes on Jan. 30, after which prices will increase. For more information, virtual registration and schedules, visit rangelands.org/annual-meeting-2025/.
