ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE REGIMES TO MAINTAIN FOREST, RANGE, AND WILDIFE RESOURCES IN OKLAHOMA

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: RREA
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0228218
• Project No.: OKLN-1012
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2011
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2016

Project Director
Elmore, R. D.

Recipient Organization
OKLAHOMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
(N/A)
STILLWATER,OK 74078

Performing Department
Natural Resource Ecology & Management

Non Technical Summary
Situation Large-scale fire suppression and fragmentation of Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains has led significant changes in plant communities, wildlife populations, agricultural productivity, and wildfire risks. Specifically, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) has become a dominant component of many habitats throughout Oklahoma, substantially increasing the potential of fire and personal property damaged by wildfires. The invasion by these plants adds to the list of forces at work (e.g. expansion of agricultural fields, development, urban sprawl) in the continued degradation and fragmentation of the Great Plains grasslands, shrublands, and forests. Additionally, the spread of eastern redcedar increases the likelihood of further declines of at-risk wildlife species. Also, forage production and thus agriculture potential has been greatly diminished in the Southern Great Plains due to redcedar encroachment. Past efforts to educate Oklahomans on land management practices (e.g. prescribed fire) that would limit the effect eastern redcedar has on native plant succession, forage production, increased fire threats, and wildlife populations has made some progress in improving forest, range, and wildlife resources. However, significant work yet remains. Purpose Using results from previous research and Extension outcomes, we have modified our approach to carrying out the Land-Grant mission and the scale of our efforts. We will direct educational programs towards two broad goals: 1) ensuring healthy ecosystems and 2) enhancing resource management on working forests and rangelands. Specifically, we will focus on the issues of invasive species (primarily eastern redcedar), forest stewardship and health, rangeland stewardship and health, and forest and rangeland wildlife and fisheries resources. Our Extension efforts will achieve the following outcomes. We will increase knowledge such that landowners understand the impacts of fire suppression and management tradeoffs. We will also increase stakeholder knowledge regarding the sustainability of rangeland and forest systems and the wildlife resources dependent upon them. Actions that we anticipate from this project include the adoption of new land management paradigms; policy that encourages resiliency in natural resources; and the increased use of fire and other methods to maintain range, forest, and wildlife resources. If these actions are carried out, the following conditions will be achieved: more sustainable rangeland and forests, higher land productivity, fewer declining wildlife species, and decreasing catastrophic wildfires.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
123	0699	3020	20%
121	0799	3020	30%
136	0799	3020	30%
122	0799	3020	20%

Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources; 122 - Management and Control of Forest and Range Fires; 136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 121 - Management of Range Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0699 - Trees, forests, and forest products, general; 0799 - Rangelands and grasslands, general;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

ecosystem services

fish and wildlife

forest stewardship

fragmentation

rangeland stewardship

invasive species

eastern redcedar

wildfire

prescribed fire

disturbance regimes

Goals / Objectives
Our primary goals are to ensure healthy ecosystems to enhance resource management on working landscapes. Specifically, we intend to carry out Extension programs aimed at addressing changes in fire regimes and the subsequent increase in eastern redcedar. This situation has led to declining rangeland and wildlife health and changes in wildlife abundance. Further working lands are in decline due to loss of productivity. At the end of the project we wish to see fewer acres of rangeland and forest that have been degraded due to eastern redcedar, an increase in forage and timber potential on rangelands and forests, improving populations of target wildlife species, reduced wildlife risks to communities, higher water quality and quantity, and better integration of natural resource partners to achieve common goals. Our work will most directly address the cross-cutting issues of ecosystem services, fish and wildlife resources, forest and rangeland food safety and security, and invasive species. To carry this out or goals, we have established the following objectives. 1) Develop and implement educational programs on the role of prescribed fire for rangeland, forest, and wildlife health carried out through Cooperative Extension, the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council, and other outlets as necessary. 2) Address barriers identified in our previous RREA project that impede implementation of Goal 1. These barriers are lack of training, lack of equipment, lack of labor, and liability uncertainty. 3) Measure the impact of our Extension programming to the RREA Issues of: invasive species, forest stewardship and health, rangeland stewardship and health, and forest and rangeland wildlife and fisheries resources and report impacts to NIFA. Outputs for this work will include various activities, events, and products. Activities that will be utilized include: analysis of survey results, collection of stakeholder input, and facilitation of natural resource agencies and landowners. We will use a variety of events to disseminate information. Field days, In-Services, landowner workshops, prescribed fire trainings, field demonstration sites will all be utilized. Products such as newsletters, guides, fact sheets, circulars, videos, manuals, and new websites will be created as needed during the project. Specific outputs planned include a fire effects video, a prescribed fire community of practice in eXtension, NRCS fire courses, and formation of new prescribed fire cooperatives.

Project Methods
Efforts For the previous reporting period, we used questionnaires to assess perceptions of Oklahoma residents to prescribed fire and eastern redcedar encroachment to help guide our Extension program. We found high support for prescribed fire with 72% of agricultural respondents and 74% of general respondents believing it was necessary to manage the land. Respondents also viewed the increase of eastern redcedar as a threat to urban areas. When asked what specific concerns respondents had regarding prescribed fire, both groups indicated damage to private property, risk to human safety, and soil erosion as most important. Only 5% of the agricultural respondents were aware of prescribed fire associations. These results indicate high support of prescribed fire and recognition that eastern red cedar encroachment is a concern. Concerns regarding prescribed fire indicate that more effort is needed to address liability issues within the state. As prescribed fire associations have been identified by the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council as a top priority, we will continue to create and support these associations by facilitating their formation, providing trainings and outreach resources, and providing supplies and equipment when needed. We will create a fire effects video and update our fire fact sheets and circulars and distribute these documents to clientele. As liability was identified as the primary constraint to use of fire, we will continue to work on policy issues through the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council with the state Legislature, USDA, and state wildlife agencies. Additionally, landowners are largely reliant on USDA-NRCS for technical assistance on burn plans. Thus, we will focus intensive, multi-day fire trainings toward NRCS to ensure that their staff is adequately trained to deliver the latest science-based fire ecology and application to clientele to improve range, forest, and wildlife resources while managing invasive plants such as eastern redcedar. Finally, we will create a Community of Practice within eXtension on prescribed fire that will serve the nation as the source of information on fire as a land management tool and an ecological process. We will also support broad-scale outreach such as the Wildlife Expo and natural resource youth education programs such as WHEP. Evaluation In order to evaluate our success, we will require all prescribed fire associations to report to Extension members trained, fires conducted, and acres treated to capture change in condition. Policy changes will be documented from statistics reported from our USDA and various state partners (e.g. acreage of CRP impacted). We will use web monitoring software to report number of hits, downloads, and time spent on various pages. Pre and post surveys will be used for fire trainings to agencies and fire associations to test knowledge. We have created an online survey system for feedback on our fact sheets that will indicate how many acres were impacted by various Extension documents. We will also record the number of documents disseminated. Acreage impacts from WMAs will be obtained from appropriate state agencies to determine actions.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period the RREA OKLN-1012 project collaborated with the following groups: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Quail Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Division of Forestry, Oklahoma Audubon, Society, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, The Wildlife Society, Society for Range Management, The Noble Foundation, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Environmental Defense Fund, University of Tennessee, Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow, the Max MacGraw Foundation, North Dakota State University, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New Mexico State University, Texas A&M, Oklahoma House of Representative, Sierra Club, Kansas State University, The Grand National Quail Club, Field& Stream, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio,Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Texas Parks and Wildife, Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, Joint Fire Science, US Bureau of Indian Affairs, and eXtension. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities for professional development were provided to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oregon Cooperative Extension Service, Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa state chapter of The Wildlife Society, Oklahoma Master Gardeners, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Pheasants Forever, U.S. Forest Service, AmeriCorps, Quail Forever, The Wildlife Society, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Oklahoma Wildlife Management Association, Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Prairie Grouse Technical Council, and the Society for Range Management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We produced multiple television segments for both SUNUP and Oklahoma Gardening. The 4-H Outdoor Adventure program was supported by RREA Trainings were provided to USDA-NRCS employees on fire ecology and wetland management. Both the Oklahoma state and the National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) contest were supported by RREA. Additionally, WHEP trainings were conducted in Tennessee and Oregon and a new WHEP program was initiated in Oregon. Extension staff continued to work with the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council to implement the use of prescribed fire in Oklahoma and to create a state-wide insurance program. Extension material was distributed at the 2012-2014 Wildlife Expos. Support from RREA allowed for a biannual newsletter to be produced covering various topics in natural resources for distribution to various constituents including: alumni, landowners, professionals, and students. We used RREA to support the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival and expand the festival to new areas of the state. We were able to reproduce multiple fact sheets and videos and distribute copies across the region. We developed a Community of Practice on Prescribed Fire for eXtension. A new video series was produced on drought impacts to natural resources. Education opportunities were provided at multiple national or regional events including: Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow, Society for Range Management, The Wildlife Society, feral hog workshops in Oklahoma, National WHEP Contest, Minnesota Chapter of the Wildlife Society, and the Iowa state chapter of The Wildlife Society. Support also enabled Extension staff to assist the Oklahoma in producing a lesser prairie-chicken management plan and the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in creating a range-wide plan for the lesser prairie-chicken. A prairie restoration demonstration site was started at the OSU botanical garden. Content was provided to The Wall Street Journal and to National Public Radio regarding natural resource issues. A field day was provided to members of the Gulf Coastal Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative. An invasive plant species poster was created. We established three food plot trials across Oklahoma and created a food plot app for the public. We established a forest management demonstration site and continued work on an existing forest demonstration site. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The previous OK RREA 5 year project found that lack of training, equipment, labor, and liability were limitations to prescribed fire in Oklahoma. We immediately modified our Extension efforts to target these needs. Funding from RREA allowed us to address the lack of prescribed fire and the associated eastern redcedar encroachment and loss of wildlife habitat. Specific accomplishments are listed below and relate directly to findings from our previous RREA project. We have formed, trained, and equipped 21 Prescribed Burn Associations in Oklahoma. Further, we have provided training to new burn associations in 8 other states. Specific training includes: fire ecology, wildlife ecology, fire safety, legal considerations, smoke management, and invasive species management. In addition to dozens of fire trainings, field days, and workshops provided directly to landowners, we created an online prescribed fire training program that has resulted in more than 260 participants increasing knowledge. As NRCS provides additional technical support for prescribed fire, we conducted national level NRCS prescribe fire trainings (1-2 per year) using RREA funding. We also have helped established Prescribed Burn Association in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Supplies were also provided to the 21 burn associations in Oklahoma including: burn trailers, safety equipment, and prescribed fire associated documents. Specific documents that RREA funds were used to produce and/or distribute to more than 20 states includes Smoke Management, Burning in the Growing Season, Patch Burning, Oklahoma's Native Vegetation Types, Effects of Prescribed Fire, Using Prescribed Fire Video, Wildlife Damage Management Video, A Practical Guide to Food Plots in the Southern Great Plains, Patch Burning, Invasive Species Poster, and Prescribed Burning Handbook. To increase prescribed fire knowledge nationally, we created a new Prescribed Fire CoP for eXtension. This CoP has 67 members, 58 FAQs and 70 articles that is available to the public on the eXtension platform. In addition to field days and trainings focused on prescribe fire, we covered the topics of feral hog control, quail management, white-tailed deer management, grazing management, and invasive species control. Over 500,000 acres have been potentially impacted due to these field days based on survey results. Additionally, we have targeted the Flints Hills Region of Oklahoma and Kansas as an area of significant concern due to inappropriate fire regimes (too frequent), declining greater prairie-chickens, and invasive species issues. Due to our outreach, we have document change in management on over 300,000 acres of private land. In western Oklahoma, the lesser prairie-chicken is declining due to lack of prescribed fire and changes in land use. To bring attention to this issue and to increase landowner acceptance of this grouse, we have supported the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival which has generated over $300,000 to the local community while raising awareness of the decline of this grouse. Additionally, Extension staff supported by RREA helped complete a Range-Wide Lesser Prairie-Chicken Management Plan which was approved by the US Fish and Wildlife and is being used to recovery this imperiled grouse. As the lesser prairie-chicken depends heavily on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land, we consult, based on research from OSU, with the USDA Farm Service Agency which affects the management of 724,000 acres of Conservation Reserve Program private land in Oklahoma. The western region of Oklahoma has experienced several years of drought, which not only negatively affected lesser prairie-chickens, but also led to catastrophic wildfire and livestock loss. In response, RREA funded the production of videos on Foundations of Water (11 part series) and Rangeland Drought (13 part series) to help producers manage water recourses on rangelands and forests. RREA funds were also used to create demonstration sites across the state including: 2 forest management sites, a food plot site, and a prairie restoration site. These sites receive over 50,000 visitors per year helping education visitors regarding forest and rangeland health, wildlife management, and invasive species control. To further reach the public, we annually provided content for SUNUP TV on Oklahoma public television that reaches an estimated 18,000 people weekly and for Oklahoma Gardening which reaches an estimated 175,000 people weekly. Additionally, we participated in the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo which has between 35,000 and 60,000 visitors annually allowing us to interact with a diverse group of Oklahomans. Support from RREA enabled us to initiate a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program in Oklahoma and provide training for future natural resource professionals throughout the Great Plains. The specific accomplishments listed above demonstrate a strategic Extension program that has largely focused on prescribed fire as it relates to the overarching issues of rangelands, forests, wildlife, and invasive species.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Weir, J.R., R.D. Elmore, T.G. Bidwell, and D.M. Engle. 2012. Fire Effects Video. Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Engle, D.M. 2012. Rangeland Drought Series: 1-14. Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Elmore, R.D, E. Tanner, T.G. Bidwell, and S. Cox. 2013. Northern Bobwhite Habitat Requirements and Evaluation Guide (revision). Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. E-904. Gourley, A., D. Elmore, M. Porter, R. Stevens, J. Weir, and T. Bidwell. 2013. A Practical Guide to Food Plots in the Southern Great Plains. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. E-1032. Orange, J.P, R.D. Elmore, and S. Cox. 2014. Scaled Quail Ecology and Management in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9019. Elmore, R.D., D. Wolfe, K.P. Allen. 2014. Impacts of Lead Ammunition and Sinkers on Wildlife (revision). Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9015. Herje, H., R.D. Elmore, E. Bartholomew, C.H. Harper, and C.V. Miller. 2014. Quality Deer Management in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9020. Dale, L.L., T.J. OConnell, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Aflatoxins in Wildlife Feed: Know How to Protect Wildlife. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9021. Elmore, R.D., K.H. Hickman, and K. Holmes. 2015. Problem Horticultural Plants. NREM-2895. Jacques, M., K. McBee, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Determining Sex and Reproductive Status of Rodents. NREM-2896. Jacques, M., K. McBee, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Managing for Small Mammal Diversity. NREM-2897 Elmore, R.D. and D.B. Arnall. 2016. Dove field management. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM 9024. Dale, L.L., A. Gourley, and R.D. Elmore. 2016. Using camera surveys to estimate white-tailed deer populations. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9023. R. Beyke and R.D. Elmore. 2016. How weather variables affect gamebirds in the southern Great Plains. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9022. Hovick, T.J. and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Interacting Fire and Grazing is for the Birds. Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, Research Brief 2015-13. Foundations of Water Video Series. 2015. Oklahoma Water Resources Center. Rangeland Drought Video Series. 2015. Oklahoma Water Resources Center.

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
(N/A)

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcomes RREA funds were used to reproduce and distribute 1,000 copies each of Smoke Management, Burning in the Growing Season, Patch Burning, Oklahoma's Native Vegetation Types, Using Prescribed Fire Video and Prescribed Burning Handbook for distribution to 7 states. Our NREM newsletter was distributed to over 700 participants. To date, 58 FAQs and 70 articles have been created for the new Prescribed Fire CoP for eXtension which has 67 members. Our television programs resulted in six segments for SUNUP on Oklahoma public television that reaches an estimated 18,000 people weekly and an additional segment on Oklahoma Gardening which reaches an estimated 175,000. The 6th Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival generated approximately $50,000 to the local communities of western Oklahoma which amounts to approximately $300,000 of total funds during this program. Support from RREA enabled us to continue a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program resulting in training for 13 students from five universities. RREA funds were used to support a native grassland at the OSU Botanical Garden. Five demonstration signs were created for public education. This demonstration site will provide information on the benefits of native grass for water quality, wildlife, and reduced maintenance and will have approximately 40,000 people annual visitors. We wrote 13 newspaper articles that were distributed to over 10,000 readers. With funding from RREA, four quail management field days were held. These events were in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Quail Forever. Approximately 100 people attended and over 90,000 acres were impacted. A total of two prescribed fire workshops were hosted. These events provided intensive multi-day training to 37 agency personnel from 10 states. We continued to consult with the USDA Farm Service Agency on the management of 724,000 acres of Conservation Reserve Program private land. Outreach efforts in the Flint Hills of Kansas have resulted in improved conditions for greater prairie-chickens on over 200,000 acres of land. Through RREA support, NREM participated in the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo which had over 50,000 participants. Finally, we produced 2 DVDs titled Foundations of Water (11 part series) and Rangeland Drought (13 part series) to help producers manage water recourses on rangelands and forests.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Herje, H., R.D. Elmore, E. Bartholomew, C.H. Harper, and C.V. Miller. 2014. Quality Deer Management in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9020. Dale, L.L., T.J. OConnell, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Aflatoxins in Wildlife Feed: Know How to Protect Wildlife. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9021. Elmore, R.D., K.H. Hickman, and K. Holmes. 2015. Problem Horticultural Plants. NREM-2895. Jacques, M., K. McBee, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Determining Sex and Reproductive Status of Rodents. NREM-2896. Jacques, M., K. McBee, and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Managing for Small Mammal Diversity. NREM-2897 Hovick, T.J. and R.D. Elmore. 2015. Interacting Fire and Grazing is for the Birds. Great Plains Fire Science Exchange, Research Brief 2015-13.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Between 10/01/13 to 09/30/14 the RREA OKLN-1012 project targeted the following audiences: youth, landowners, land managers, urban residents, and state and federal natural resource professionals. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Opportunities for professional development were provided to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma Master Gardeners, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Quail Forever, The Wildlife Society, and the Society for Range Management. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? During the period between 10/01/13 to 09/30/14 the RREA OKLN-1012 project resulted in the following outputs. The Oklahoma state 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) contest and the 4-H Outdoor Adventure program was supported by RREA. Support from RREA allowed for a biannual newsletter to be produced covering various topics in natural resources for distribution to various constituents including: alumni, landowners, professionals, and students. We used RREA to support the 5th annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival. We provided content for a monthly television segment for public television on various natural resource topics as well as a weekly newspaper column. We provided partial salary support for an Extension employee to continue to develop a Community of Practice on Prescribed Fire for eXtension. Education opportunities were provided at multiple national or regional events including: The Wildlife Society and NRCS prescribed fire schools. A Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program and a prairie restoration demonstration was supported by RREA. A display was supported at the annual Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to promote the Prairie Project, which is an RREA funded project. A field day was provided to members of the Gulf Coastal Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative. An invasive plant species poster was created. A deer management workshop was conducted. Finally, we established three food plot trials across Oklahoma and created a food plot app for the public. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to produce televeniosn and newspaper segments. Two new fact sheets will be produced and copies of existing fact sheets will be distrubtued. We will market our new app and our Community of Practice in eXtension. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival will be supported. Three quail field days and a deer field day will be held. We will conduct three prescribed fire field days. We will support the annual Wildlife Expo. The prairie demonstration site will continue to be developed and a forest managment demonstration site will be established.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? RREA funds were used to reproduce and distribute 500 copies of the Effects of Fire Video to over 10 states. We additionally produced 1,000 copies each of Smoke Management, Burning in the Growing Season, Patch Burning, Invasive Species Poster, Oklahoma’s Native Vegetation Types, and Prescribed Burning Handbook for distribution. We continued to assist various private natural resource NGOs and industry partners to create a lesser prairie-chicken habitat quantification tool that will be used to mitigate for land use impacts to this imperiled species. Our NREM newsletter was distributed to over 700 participants. To date, 58 FAQs and 70 articles have been created for the new Prescribed Fire CoP for eXtension which has 70 members. Our television programs resulted in two segments for SUNUP on Oklahoma public television that reaches an estimated 18,000 people weekly and an additional four segments on Oklahoma Gardening which reaches an estimated 175,000. The 5th Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival generated approximately $50,000 to the local communities of western Oklahoma which amounts to approximately $250,000 of total funds during this program. Support from RREA enabled us to continue a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program resulting in training for 14 students from five universities. RREA funds were used to develop a native grassland at the OSU Botanical Garden. This demonstration site will provide information on the benefits of native grass for water quality, wildlife, and reduced maintenance and will have approximately 40,000 people annual visitors. We provided 800 copies of fact sheets to Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension to support their prescribed fire efforts for two field days that reached over 100 landowners. We organized a session on grasslands for The Wildlife Society annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA with over 50 attendees and wrote 31 newspaper articles that were distributed to 10,143 readers. With funding from RREA, a regional quail management symposium was held. This event was in cooperation with two state wildlife agencies and multiple NGOs. Over 100 people attended including 2 wildlife agency commissioners and surveys indicated that 46,000 private acres were impacted by this event. The field tour for the Gulf Coastal Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative reached natural resource professionals that direct conservation over 120 million acres in the United States. A total of four prescribed fire workshops were hosted. These events provided intensive multi-day training to approximately 100 landowners and 85 agency personnel from 12 states. Our deer management workshop had 51 participants including a state wildlife commissioner.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Orange, J.P, R.D. Elmore, and S. Cox. 2014. Scaled Quail Ecology and Management in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9019. Elmore, R.D., D. Wolfe, K.P. Allen. 2014. Impacts of Lead Ammunition and Sinkers on Wildlife (revision). Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, NREM-9015.

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Between 10/01/12 to 09/30/13 the RREA OKLN-1012 project targeted the following audiences: youth, landowners, land managers, urban residents, and state and federal natural resource professionals. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Opportunities for professional development were provided to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma Master Gardeners, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Quail Forever, The Wildlife Society, and the Society for Range Management. We provided training at 2 prescribed fire field days, 2 NRCS prescribed fire workshops, 1 webinar through the prescribed fire CoP in eXtension, a feral hog workshop, and a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow workshop. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? During the period between 10/01/12 to 09/30/13 the RREA OKLN-1012 project collaborated with the following groups: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Quail Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Division of Forestry, Oklahoma Audubon Council, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, The Wildlife Society, Society for Range Management, The Noble Foundation, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, US Bureau of Indian Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund, Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, Future Farmers of America, Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow, the Max MacGraw Foundation, Field & Stream, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and eXtension. We produced a new video entitled Wildlife Damage Management and distrusted it to all Oklahoma Cooperative Extension offices. RREA funds were used to reproduce and distribute the Effects of Fire Video to over 20 states. We produced 2 new fact sheets during the project period (Northern Bobwhite Habitat Requirements and Evaluation Guide and A Practical Guide to Food Plots in the Southern Great Plains). We additionally produced 500 copies of A Practical Guide to Food Plots in the Southern Great Plains; 1,000 copies each of Smoke Management, Burning in the Growing Season, Patch Burning, and Oklahoma’s Native Vegetation Types; and 2,000 copies of Prescribed Burning Handbook for distribution. 58 FAQs and 59 articles have been created for the new Prescribed Fire CoP for eXtension. Our NREM newsletter was distributed to over 700 participants (and further distributed to other lists).Our television programs resulted in 13 segments for SUNUP on Oklahoma public television that reaches an estimated 18,000 people weekly and an additional 5 segments on Oklahoma Gardening which reaches an estimated 175,000. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to develop and maket our prescribed fire CoP in eXtension. The native prairie demonstartion area will be completed. Additional fact sheets related to invasive plants and wildliffe management will be created. We will distribute infomation at the annual Wildlife Expo. The Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow program will be expanded.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the period between 10/01/12 to 09/30/13 the RREA OKLN-1012 project resulted in the following outputs. The Oklahoma state 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) contest was supported by RREA. Support from RREA allowed for a biannual newsletter to be produced covering various topics in natural resources for distribution to various constituents including: alumni, landowners, professionals, and students. We used RREA to support the 4th annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival. We provided content for a monthly television segment for public television on various natural resource topics. We were able to reproduce the Wildlife Damage Management video and distribute copies across the state. We provided partial salary support for an Extension employee to continue to develop a Community of Practice on Prescribed Fire for eXtension. We continued marketing the Prairie Project that will be used in primary and secondary education across the region. Support also enabled Extension staff to assist the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in creating a range-wide plan for the lesser prairie-chicken and for private partners to create a lesser prairie-chicken habitat quantification tool. A Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program was initiated in Oklahoma. Content was provided to The Wall Street Journal and to National Public Radio regarding natural resource issues. Finally a prairie restoration demonstration site was started at the OSU botanical gardens.Outcomes Extension staff helped complete a Range-Wide Lesser Prairie-Chicken Management Plan which was approved by the US Fish and Wildlife. We assisted various private natural resource NGOs and industry partners to create a lesser prairie-chicken habitat quantification tool that will be used to mitigate for land use impacts to this imperiled species. The 4th Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival generated approximately $50,000 to the local communities of western Oklahoma. Support from RREA enabled us to initiate a Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow Program resulting in training for two faculty and three students. A feral hog workshop provided information to 141 participants. RREA funds were used to convert an area to native grassland at the OSU Botanical Garden. This demonstration site will provide information on the benefits of native grass for water quality, wildlife, and reduced maintenance and will have approximately 40,000 people annual visitors.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Elmore, R.D, E. Tanner, T.G. Bidwell, and S. Cox. 2013. Northern Bobwhite Habitat Requirements and Evaluation Guide (revision). Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. E-904. Gourley, A., D. Elmore, M. Porter, R. Stevens, J. Weir, and T. Bidwell. 2013. A Practical Guide to Food Plots in the Southern Great Plains. Oklahoma Coopertative Extension Service. E-1032.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the period between 10/01/11 to 09/30/12 the RREA OKLN-1012 project resulted in the following outputs. Both the Oklahoma state and the National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) contest were supported by RREA. Additionally, WHEP trainings were conducted in Tennessee and Oregon and a new WHEP program was initiated in Oregon. Extension staff continued to work with the Oklahoma Prescribed Fire Council to implement the use of prescribed fire in Oklahoma and to create a state-wide insurance program. Extension material was distributed at the 2012 Wildlife Expo. Support from RREA allowed for a biannual newsletter to be produced covering various topics in natural resources for distribution to various constituents including: alumni, landowners, professionals, and students. We used RREA to support the 3rd annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival and expand the festival to new areas of the state. We provided content for a monthly television segment for public television on various natural resource topics. We were able to reproduce the Effects of Fire Video and distribute copies across the region. We provided partial salary support for an Extension employee to continue to develop a Community of Practice on Prescribed Fire for eXtension. We began marketing the Prairie Project that will be used in primary and secondary education across the region. A new video series was produced on drought impacts to natural resources. Education opportunities were provided at multiple national or regional events including: Society for Range Management, National WHEP Contest, and the Iowa state chapter of The Wildlife Society. Support also enabled Extension staff to assist the Oklahoma in producing a lesser prairie-chicken management plant and the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in creating a range-wide plan for the lesser prairie-chicken. PARTICIPANTS: During the period between 10/01/11 to 09/30/12 the RREA OKLN-1012 project collaborated with the following groups: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Division of Forestry, Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance, Oklahoma Audubon Council, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, Tall Timbers Research Station, The Wildlife Society, Society for Range Management, Quail Forever, The Noble Foundation, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Oregon Cooperative Extension Service, Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service, Texas Cooperative Extension Service, eXtension, and the Sutton Avian Research Center. Opportunities for professional development were provided to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oregon Cooperative Extension Service, Tennessee Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa state chapter of The Wildlife Society, Oklahoma Master Gardeners, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Pheasants Forever, U.S. Forest Service, Americorps, The Wildlife Society, and the Society for Range Management. TARGET AUDIENCES: Between 10/01/11 to 09/30/12 the RREA OKLN-1012 project targeted the following audiences: youth, landowners, land managers, urban residents, and state and federal natural resource professionals. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A new RREA five year project was created during this period (OKLN-1012). A final report was submitted for OKLN-1002.

Impacts
We reproduced 500 copies of the Effects of Fire Video and distrusted them to state, federal, and private partners. Extension staff helped complete a Lesser Prairie-Chicken Management Plan for Oklahoma and began work on a range-wide management plan. Over 60,000 people attended the 2012 Wildlife Expo and received information on natural resource issues and management. Outreach and facilitation has resulted in 3 spatial tools created by various partners that is enabling energy developers within Oklahoma to be more responsible to natural resource stewardship and avoid sensitive species such as the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Our NREM newsletter was distributed to over 700 participants (and further distributed to other lists). Thirteen states participated in the 2012 4-H WHEP contest and received intensive training in natural resource management. Oregon initiated a new WHEP program. Approximately 30 FAQs and 20 articles have been created for the new Prescribed Fire CoP for eXtension. Our television programs resulted in 12 segments for SUNUP on Oklahoma public television that reaches an estimated 18,000 people weekly and an additional 3 segments on Oklahoma Gardening which reaches an estimated 175,000 The 3rd Annual Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival generated approximately $50,000 to the local communities of western Oklahoma. Finally 2 new video publications were produced on a drought management and the effects of fire.

Publications

• Weir, J.R., R.D. Elmore, T.G. Bidwell, and D.M. Engle. 2012. Fire Effects Video. Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.
• Engle, D.M. 2012. Rangeland Drought Series: 1-14. Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA.