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Audubon Conservation Ranching Program event (hosted by Shasta Birding Society)
February 14 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm PST
Audubon Conservation Ranching Program
February 14 at 7:00 pm
Shasta Birding Society invites members of the Shasta Environmental Alliance and the Shasta Chapter of the California Native Plant Society to join us in a Zoom meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87589708925 on Wednesday evening, February 14, at 7:00 pm.
Matt Allshouse of Audubon California will present a program on the Conservation Ranching Program, the goal of which is to halt the conversion of grassland ecosystems and improve the ecological functions of rangelands by partnering with ranchers.
Program Description:
California has roughly 40 million acres of rangelands that provide food production, carbon sequestration, water infiltration, and habitat for a wide range of species. However, this historic land use is under threat with an average of 20,000 acres a year being lost to development or crop conversion. Climate change, invasive species, aquifer depletion, and outdated grazing practices also degrade large portions of grasslands, increasing economic and ecological vulnerability. This in turn has contributed to steep declines in grassland bird species across California and the United States.
Audubon launched its Conservation Ranching program (ACR) here in California in 2019. This program is designed to stem the conversion of grassland ecosystems and improve the ecological functions of rangelands by partnering with ranchers to transition to more regenerative grazing approaches via a ranch certification program. This presentation will highlight the ACR program components which includes the development of ranch-specific Habitat Management Plans and a third-party certified set of regenerative grazing practices to increase climate-driven drought resiliency, rebuild soil organic matter, enhance plant diversity
and cover, increase water infiltration and carbon sequestration, and increase overall biodiversity. This ecological resilience can translate to economic resilience, as participating producers are able to use the Audubon certification logo on their product – providing a market incentive to landowners to enroll in this program through increased sales or revenue. This presentation will highlight program practices, early results and opportunities for enrollment.
Matt Allshouse came to Audubon California from Wyoming and has been the Conservation Ranching Program Manager for the state since September 2019. As a rangeland ecologist, he has 15 years of experience associated with land policy, management, and science. Previously, Matt served as Ranch Manager for Antelope Springs Land and Cattle in Wyoming, as a Biologist for the Peregrine Fund in Belize and Guatemala directing conservation field research, and as Ecologist with the consulting firm Trihydro Corporation focusing on restoration ecology. Matt holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Environment and Natural Resources, and Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management from University of Wyoming.