Agricultural News
Noble Foundation Part of Collaboration to Advance Land Stewardship
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 19:14:20 CST
Three agricultural organizations officially formed a collaboration that will benefit private land owners across the United States. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, based out of Ardmore, Oklahoma, Texas A&M University's Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR), and the East Wildlife Foundation, have signed a memorandum of understanding that formed the Center for Private Land Stewardship (CPLS). The signing took place Tuesday, February 3, at the launch of the Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio Texas. Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays caught up with Noble Foundation Center for Land Stewardship Manager Chad Ellis to talk about this effort. Click on the LISTENBAR below to listen to the full interview.
Ellis said the Center for Private Land Stewardship is a collaboration of like-minded organizations that aims to focus on land stewardship and the importance of stewardship. The group aims to help promote what private landowners do and how the public benefits from clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and open space. The group also wants to empower land managers and help them with these management techniques. Ellis said there will be a lot of educational outreach, along with the development of new tools to help private land owner's make decisions and support the private landowner's interests.
Working with the Noble Foundation is Texas A & M's Agri-Life Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. Associate Director Brian Hays said there is a lot of opportunity to do some good things on behalf of landowners across the country.
"Individually we are working on these and promoting land stewardship and the importance of land stewardship and together we can work together to make that voice louder and be heard over a larger area and the partnership will allow us to do that," Hays said.
One of the primary missions of the partnership will be communicating the important role land owners have. In a state like Texas that has become more urban, Hays said they will aim to show the stewardship landowners provide for public benefit. The group will also study the trends across the country with further fragmentation of land into smaller parcels. Hays said they will work with and educate new owners about land stewardship and why it should be sustained.
One of the challenges to stainability is drought. The Center for Private Land Stewardship is a great partnership for these organizations to work on this particular issue. Ellis said the group will promote proper grazing management, developing a drought mitigation plan to adjust in times of drought and helping landowners navigate regulatory issues.
CPLS is designed to be the hub of education for private land owners and the public. It will create practical solutions for real-world problems facing land owners, while advocating for resource stewardship. Through activities such as land use forecasting, experiential learning, professional training, and policy innovations, the center will inform and demonstrate the value of proper stewardship of private lands. The CPLS will also conduct research on land use changes and other drivers affecting private lands.
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