Training

See also: California Fish and Wildlife Staff Trainings, Maintaining Biodiversity

Goal

Increase participant understanding of grazing policy, planning, and ecology to improve management on CDFW lands.

Objectives

Participants will improve their knowledge of:

·       CDFW regulations that allow use of grazing as a management tool, including

o   CDFW’s ‘new permit’ process

o   CDFW tools and guidance for advertising and awarding processes

·       Ecological interactions with grazing, including:

o   Effects of grazing in riparian and wetland areas

·       Goal setting

·       Management strategies, including

o   Rotational, seasonal, targeted grazing

o   Testing strategies

o   Planning for drought

·       Monitoring

·       Developing conservation grazing management plans

Description

This workshop is for California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff interested in learning the basics about livestock grazing management and procedure. We start the day with participants hearing some basics from other CDFW staff who are knowledgeable about policy and procedure. Though this portion of the day will not be comprehensive, presenters will provide participants with links and other additional resources. The day proceeds with information on grazing lands ecology, goal setting, and planning with UC Cooperative Extension experts covering both general information as well as an emphasis on riparian and wetlands systems. The workshop concludes with presentation and discussion focused on developing conservation grazing plans that are practical and effective. The workshop will include limited time for discussion and more extensive provision of additional resources to assist the participants after the workshop. We are planning on a follow-up field trip in the Spring to build on this workshop content by illustrating more in-depth planning and monitoring guidance.

Registration Details

There is no cost for this workshop, though you’ll have to provide your own lunch. Given limited time and the location, it is a better idea to pack your lunch than to rely on purchasing a lunch at the location.

Please review the website for workshop location and parking. Government licence plates (E) park for free. Non-E plates must pay a $9 parking fee. It would be best to carpool. Please plan on arriving by 8:30am as the most convenient parking lot, Lot 15, is a popular student lot and fills early.

Note: if you register for this workshop, please plan on attending. If you register and do not attend, we may not offer you priority enrollment in future training events. To provide training for free requires substantial subsidization of resources including instructor and organizer time, materials, refreshments, etc.  Not showing, or cancelling late wastes time and  money and jeopardizes our ability to offer future training for CDFW. If you must cancel after registration, please let us know as soon as you know- even the very last minute (via phone message).