FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Annual livestock/wildlife conference set for May 10-11

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 21, 2006—Land managers can learn to maximize profits by minimizing the conflicts between livestock and wildlife at an in-depth conference May 10-11 in San Angelo, Texas.
      As wildlife resources have become increasingly important to the profit potential of ranch land, managers have been confounded about how to go about improving conditions for wildlife without degrading conditions needed by traditional livestock.
      Fortunately, it’s not an either-or proposition, as shown by this extraordinary educational opportunity provided by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Texas Wildlife Association.
      For their third annual conference, the partners have gathered an unrivaled group of livestock, range and wildlife specialists who will share their expertise through discussions and on-site demonstrations. 
      Technical assistance will be provided by Texas Cooperative Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. CEUs will be offered for pesticide applicators and Society of Range Management members.

Registration
      Participation is limited to the first 150 registrants. Cost is $75 person; TSCRA and TWA members get a discounted price of $50 per person. A registration form is available in the Events section of TSCRA’s Web site at www.texascattleraisers.org or on TWA’s Web site at www.texas-wildlife.org .
      The conference begins at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, with registration and introductory comments at the San Angelo Research and Extension Center. Dr. Dale Rollins, Extension wildlife specialist, will set the stage with his “camouflage cowboy hat” concept.
      A lesson in land stewardship follows. Steve Nelle, wildlife biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in San Angelo will provide a “virtual watershed walk” to guide you in critically assessing your own management philosophy and understanding the perspective of your neighbors.

On-site demonstrations
      At 3 p.m., buses will depart for on-site sessions at the Cargile family’s S Ranch, owned by former TSCRA President John Cargile.
      The Cargile family and ranch management have taken a conservationist attitude toward the natural resources under their care. Livestock and wildlife management along with brush control and sound range management practices have been the basis of this operation for several decades.
      Fourth-generation cowman Kyle Clement of Albany, Texas, will share lessons he’s learned that lead to a low-stress, harmonious, profitable stewardship of land, livestock and wildlife.
      After a short break, experts on Texas plants will lead a hands-on walking tour of the pasture. If you can’t identify the plants on your land, you can’t manage them. This tour will teach you to recognize key plants and their values for wildlife and livestock.
      A 6 p.m. social break in the S Ranch hunting lodge area will be followed by dinner. Dr. Jason Johnson, Extension economist, will provide a light-hearted look at how the hunting industry benefits local economies statewide.
      The keynote address will be given by Forrest Armke, manager of the Ford Ranch near Melvin, Texas. The 32,000-acre ranch is a model of range management that supports 1,200 cows and a premier hunting operation that hosts more than 400 wildlife enthusiasts annually.
      Day two will begin at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts in the TAMU Center. Buses load at 8 a.m. for presentations and demonstrations on nearby Clark Ranch.

Plants and water
      Building on the previous day’s discussion of plants and their relative value for livestock and wildlife, participants will study first-hand the digestive systems of various species.
      Carcasses of an axis deer, quail, turkey, white-tailed deer, goat and steer will be dissected so participants can observe the digestive, physiological and adaptational characteristics of each one.
      Presenters will include Nelle; Rollins; Bill Eikenhorst, DVM, Brenham, Texas; Bob Dittmar, DVM, Kerrville, Texas; John Walla, DVM, Navasota, Texas; Kent Mills, Hi-Pro Feeds, Snyder, Texas; Dan McBride, DVM, Burnet, Texas; and Ruben Cantu, regional director, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, San Angelo.
      After a break, David K. Langford will discuss what every land manager needs to know about Texas water. Langford, from Comfort, Texas, is trustee of The Laurels Ranch Trust and vice president emeritus of the Texas Wildlife Association.
      The future of water in Texas rests primarily on the management decisions made by land stewards across the state and the ability of Texans to understand this concept.
      Langford will discuss strategies to combat the looming water crisis from the back 40 to your local courthouse to the halls of the state Capitol.

Recovering from wildfire
      The next topic on the agenda, management dilemmas following wildfire, is especially pertinent this year. On New Year’s Day wildfires claimed more than 80,000 acres of rangeland in the San Angelo area, including a substantial portion of the Curry family’s Clark Ranch.
      Participants will tour a portion of the scorched country and learn about the best methods for rehabilitating the range, livestock, facilities and wildlife in burned areas.
      Presenters will include Cantu; Rollins; Dr. Allan McGinty, Extension range specialist, San Angelo; and Alan Curry, owner-operator of Clark Ranch, San Angelo.
      Following the presentation, lunch will be served at the Clark Ranch headquarters and the Hon. Joseph B.C. Fitzsimons, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, will wrap up the conference. 
      Fitzsimons is the owner of San Pedro Ranch at Carrizo Springs, an award-winning conservationist, a director of TSCRA and a past vice president of TWA. He will provide perspectives on land stewardship, the future of ranching in Texas and the changing social dynamics of natural resource management.
      The conference will adjourn at 1 p.m. and buses will return to the TAMU Center.

More information
      For more information on the event, registration or TWA membership, contact Helen Holdsworth at 1 (800) TEX-WILD or h_holdsworth@texas-wildlife.org. For information on TSCRA membership, contact Todd McCartney, tmccartney@texascattleraisers.org or 1 (800) 242-7820.

      Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association is a 129-year-old trade organization whose 13,600 members manage approximately 5.4 million cattle on 70.3 million acres of range and pasture land, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma.

TSCRA-4-2006