The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC), Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Sandhills Task Force will be hosting the 2020 Traveling Road Show at four locations in November. This year’s road show will focus on winning strategies for woody encroachment featuring Dirac Twidwell, UNL Associate Professor in rangeland and fire ecology. 

Dirac Twidwell is a Science Advisor for the USDA NRCS, Great Plains region, and a national science team member for a new Great Plains Grasslands Strategy under the Working Lands for Wildlife Program.

Dirac’s presentation will include:

• Woody encroachment-national threat to range, and sustainability
• Nebraska Sandhills ranked #2 globally as viable grassland region on Earth
• Intact grasslands less vulnerable to encroachment by Eastern Red Cedar (ERC)
• ERC encroachment poses new threats to Nebraska’s livestock industry
• New earlier warning tools and tracking the economic loss
• Past approaches versus new scientific solutions and winning strategies

The program will also include presentations from NGLC Burn Coordinators, Doug Whisenhunt and Alex Petersen, plus local ranchers that have experience using prescribed fire. There is no cost to attend, and a meal will be provided. Students and local FFA chapters are encouraged to attend. Participants must pre-register by Friday, November 6 to reserve a meal by calling the UNL Extension office for each location.

DATES & LOCATIONS:

Monday, November 9, 2020 - 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CST @ Community Center in Bloomfield, NE
Contact: Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension-Cedar County, (402) 254-6821

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 - 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CST @ Loup County Ag Society Community Center in Taylor, NE
Contact: Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension-GLW Counties, (308) 346-4200

Thursday, November 12, 2020 - 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CST @Thomas County Fairgrounds in Thedford, NE
Contact: TL Meyer, Nebraska Extension-Central Sandhills, (308) 645-2267

Friday, November 13, 2020 - 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. MST @ Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, NE
Contact: Erin Laborie, Nebraska Extension-Furnas County, (308) 268-3105

For more information, contact Ron Bolze, NGLC Coordinator, at (402) 321-0067 or ron@nebraskagrazinglands.org.