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Meeting Summary

The Rangelands Partnership (RP) annual meeting was held May 12-15, 2025 with the theme Knowledge Sharing for a Sustainable Future. Twenty-four participants attended the meeting at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel and Conference Center in Kerrville, Texas and two participants joined virtually. Jeanne Pfander, RP Chair, and Barbara Petty, WERA Administrator, welcomed attendees. The keynote was presented by Dandy Kothmann, Resource Team Leader with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. She spoke about her 24 years of experience working on the Edwards Plateau and the many changes to the region and land management, including new landowners using AI tools for answers when that information without local interpretation is not accurate. An icebreaker activity gave participants an informal way to get to know each other. The RP state lightning talks provided updates about rangeland science and librarian state activities, such as Extension programming, information challenges for librarians and research, impact of the federal funding changes occurring this spring of 2025, completed projects, and more. A very interactive and informative session ended the first day about progress RP members made toward the 2021-2026 WERA objectives. 

Jeanne Pfander started day 2 with the RP business meeting where she reported that two projects finished with their funding, RangeDocs and the online communications professional development series. The ongoing projects include the technology toolbox, Art of Range podcasts, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) documentary, and outreach for the IYRP North America support group. The RP discussed and approved adding Brigham Young University (BYU) as a Utah member. Barbara Petty provided details on some of the changes that have occurred within the USDA, NIFA, and its impact on Ag Innovation – West. Secretary, Jodee Kuden mentioned the monthly meetings and reviewing the lists of emails for the newsletter and listserv. She also reported on the Rangelands Gateway (RG) search interface that affects all the web pages and library records within RG. Eric Winford was elected as Secretary. Sergio Arispe moves to the role of Chair and Jodee Kuden moves to Vice Chair for the coming year. The next RP annual meeting will be hosted by the University of Wyoming in Laramie with a tentative first day of May 18, 2026.

Additional presentations updated and expanded the knowledge of RP members. First was Latest in AI by Livia Olsen, explaining four different products and their pros/cons for academic uses. Marcy Epperson, a local rancher and Past President of the Regional Prescribed Fire Association, covered the need for education about the benefits of controlled burns for the land and forage. Flavie Audion, with Lauren Svejcar and Engin Yilmaz, provided an update on the current and upcoming activities of IYRP and IYRP North America. Laura Goodman demonstrated ways to create brief and interesting social media posts, suggested software to create infographics, and offered ways to re-use or update existing work to save time.

The final work session focused on brainstorming for the next set of WERA objectives, which will cover five years – October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031. Six volunteers offered to draft WERA components this summer and fall to meet the January 15, 2026 submission deadline. 
 

Documents

• Agenda