CONNECTING LANDOWNERS Helping shape the future of the West

2 0 1 4 Y E A R I N R E V I E W

3 Message from the Executive Director

4 Taking Wing in 2014

6 Water + Watersheds

8 Energy Planning

10 Working Lands Health

12 Sustainable Economies

14 Wildlife Program

16 Board of Directors / Advisors

17 Western Landowners Alliance Staff

19 2014 in Review: Western Landowners Alliance

21 In Memoriam

www.westernlandownersalliance.org

The mission of the Western Landowners Alliance is to advance policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes, and native species.

Dear Friends,

My own journey in Western stewardship began nearly two decades ago with an invitation to manage a ranch in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Over the ensuing sixteen years, I came to know first hand many of the adventures, rewards and challenges of managing a working landscape. It’s one thing to consider land academically or to experience it recreationally. It’s another thing to assume the responsibility for it physically and financially. Owning and managing land, while deeply rewarding, can be hugely expensive. Efforts to implement sound stewardship often lead to more questions than answers and almost all landowners will eventually be challenged by public policies, finances, and gaps in science and knowledge.

Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) was created to address these challenges. As a network of landowners committed to sound stewardship, our members share both a land ethic and the unique perspective of what it means to own and manage land. This voice has long been under-represented in the public policy arena and we are bringing it to the fore.

It is also exciting to see landowners and managers from all over the West connecting and building relationships through WLA. Science and knowledge are being advanced every day on private lands, but much of it never makes its way into scientific journals or public policy. This extraordinary network provides the opportunity to share this knowledge among peers, accelerate our collective understanding and increase our effectiveness in land stewardship.

If you are not yet a member of WLA, please join us in building a strong future for working lands, human communities and wildlife in the West! Please visit us at: www.westernlandownersalliance.org.

Sincerely,

Lesli Allison Executive Director

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Taking Wing in 2014By the close of 2013, the founding board of directors and interim executive director Kenyon Fields had brought Western Landowners Alliance from an exciting, fledgling initiative to the brink of flight. In 2014, the organization stepped out of the nest and took wing.

Over the course of 2014, the board grew from five to thirteen members. Having served as interim director since WLA’s inception, Kenyon joined the board and WLA hired its first full time executive director, Lesli Allison. Addition-al staff joined through the year and the profiles of our outstanding team are included in this annual report. In July, WLA was recognized officially by the IRS as a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. By year’s end, membership had doubled and currently represents millions of acres West-wide.

Programs also surged forward in 2014 to address major issues impacting landowners and shaping the West today. WLA helped landowners weigh in on state and federal water policy, wildlife management and species recovery, energy planning, property tax and much more. Stewardship tours connected landowners on the ground in Mon-tana, Colorado and New Mexico to consider issues such as aspen and wildlife management, wetlands restoration

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and grazing management. During the course of road tours around the West, WLA staff met with landowners and other partners to understand landowners’ most pressing concerns and interests.

In order to keep our network connected and informed, and to help tell the important story of private land stewardship, WLA has significantly expanded its outreach and communications work in 2014. The website provides information and resources for members and partners. Newsletters provide updates and time-sensitive information on topics of interest. In December, WLA released the first episode of “Stewardship with Vision”, a series of short films profiling outstanding stewardship on working lands. WLA also produced a booklet on the significance of stream stewardship by private landowners in NM. Santa Fe’s Radio Café is producing a multi-part interview series featuring WLA members and stories of collaborative conservation on working lands.

As we look forward to 2015, we anticipate deepening work in our key program areas and a focus on member-ship development. As a network and collective voice, the stronger our membership, the more effective we can be on behalf of landowners and Western stewardship.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSWATER + WATERSHEDS

Water resource policy is of vital concern to landowners.

WLA has embarked on an ambitious Water and Watersheds program to inform, engage and represent conservation-minded landowners on issues related to water rights, water resource conservation and stream health. Led by water resource policy expert Kathleen Williams, WLA is focusing initial efforts in the Colorado River Basin states.

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WLA has a host of initiatives and activities that support water and watershed health for landowners

• Hosted a webinar and commented on Waters of the U.S. rule (EPA/USACE)

• Developed a set of Water Principles to help guide landowners and states in designing state water plans

• Advocated for a Colorado measure to enable landowners to conserve water without losing water rights.

• Produced the first episode in “Stewardship with Vision”, a series of short films highlighting outstanding stewardship on working lands.

• “Water Wednesdays” bulletins keep members informed

• In partnership with the Chama Peak Land Alliance, helped the Village of Chama, New Mexico, secure funding for new wastewater treatment plant to reduce pollution in the Chama River.

• Produced a booklet highlighting the importance and extent of stream stewardship by private landowners in New Mexico

• Met with landowners and partner organizations around the West to understand water-related concerns and interests.

At a WLA hosted

meeting at High

Lonesome Ranch in

DeBeque, CO, water

resource policy

experts briefed

members on state

and federal water

issues, and rangeland

management

experts conducted a

workshop on grazing

management.

Protecting a Valuable Resource

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Energy development is among the most significant drivers shaping the West.

For this reason, WLA has created the Western Landowners Energy Council. The council is designed to support landowners in improving planning and implementation of energy development on working lands.

The High Lonesome Ranch is leading an effort to balance energy development on surrounding BLM lands with agricultural and wildlife values.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSENERGY PLANNING

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Landowners have much at stake and need a direct voice in the process of energy planning and development

• Landowners Energy Council will address both conventional and alternative forms of energy and related delivery systems as they impact private and leased public lands. In 2014, the council focused on the role of local governments in energy planning, submitting comments to the Colorado Oil and Gas Task Force and to the US Department of Interior.

• WLA partnered with the Chama Peak Land Alliance on a pilot project in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado that incorporates community, landowner and natural resource values into the energy planning process.

• WLA worked to address landowner concerns about hydraulic fracturing at unusually shallow depths. Following meetings with county, state and federal officials, Colorado adopted a policy addressing the increased risk of hydraulic fracturing operations at depths of less than 2,000 feet. Among other things, the adoption of this policy added critical safeguards to a watershed in Colorado that supplies approximately one-third of New Mexico’s water.

In this Colorado

valley, landowners

have worked

collaboratively to

develop an energy

plan that would

enable development

while also protecting

other resources.

Landowners Energy Council

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Current and future generations depend on the health, productivity and resilience of our working lands.

Landowners and managers in WLA are sharing knowledge, science and experience to improve the stewardship of Western lands, water and natural resources. In many cases, this exchange of knowledge not only improves landowners’ ability to manage land well, it also saves time and reduces costs.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSWORKING LANDS HEALTH

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WLA board members

and landowners

toured the Zapata

Ranch in Colorado.

WLA’s board member

Duke Phillips manages

the ranch, which is

owned by The Nature

Conservancy.

Through WLA, members exchange knowledge, advance science and accelerate collective learning

• WLA co-hosted three well-attended meetings in Colorado and New Mexico on forest management and related public policy in the summer of 2014.

• WLA has posted a section on the website about aspen management and produced an informational flyer for landowners.

• WLA helps support science to fill gaps landowners have identified. In 2014, WLA initiated a major research project to identify rangeland trends using satellite imagery and analysis. The project is a collaborative effort between WLA, Open Range Consulting, the Quivira Coalition, the Thornburg Foundation and an advisory council of respected range practitioners. Results from the project will shed light on the impacts of various land management practices with a high degree of accuracy over large landscapes.

Sharing Knowledge

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Working lands

Economic considerations play a central role in the stewardship of working lands

Low agricultural profit margins combined with the high costs of purchasing, owning and managing land creates real challenges for many landowners. Improving the economics, creating greater financial incentives and removing disincentives for sustainable stewardship are primary objectives for WLA.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSSUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES

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WLA held its 2014

summer meeting in

Ennis and Bozeman,

Montana, hosting

a landowner

forum along with

stewardship tours

of the Granger and

Flying D Ranches.

Land health and long-term economic viability go hand-in-hand

• Landowners need the flexibility to manage for multiple objectives, including both land health and the bottom line.

• Diversified operations provide important financial stability while also supporting sound stewardship. However, flexibility and appropriate adaptive management can be inadvertently restricted by public policies.

• WLA launched an initiative to modernize agricultural property tax programs in the West to support adaptive management and conservation of natural resources on working lands.

Supporting the Bottom Line

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Wyoming Mule Deer Migration

Providing connected habitats and migratory corridors across large landscapes is a key part of WLA’s mission.

In Wyoming, WLA joined a partner-ship effort by the Wyoming Migration Initiative to protect a major mule deer migration corridor that spans approx-imately 150 miles from the Red Desert to the Hoback Basin. Along this route, the deer encounter a number of daunt-ing obstacles each year, ranging from major interstate highways to gas fields to fences. This initiative is expected to alleviate barriers and secure protection of critical areas along the route at risk of development.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSWILDLIFE PROGRAM

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Greater Sage Grouse

Landowners around the West have stepped up to support the conservation and recovery of Greater Sage Grouse

WLA is working to ensure these landowners receive the support they need from state and federal agencies. In Oregon, WLA brought ranchers together with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to highlight conservation efforts on ranchlands. WLA also delivered a series of op-eds and letters to Congress, the Department of Interior and the Western Governors Association advocating increased support for landowners engaged in conservation and recovery efforts.

“…to us, the idea of losing a

species native to the ranch

would mean we’ve not done

our job as land stewards.”

– Mary Conover and Kenyon Fields

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSWILDLIFE PROGRAM

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Board of DirectorsChair, Paul Vahldiek, Jr. – High Lonesome Ranch, CO

Vice Chair, Nelson Shirley – Spur Lake Cattle Company, NM/AZ

Treasurer, Mary Conover – Mountain Island Ranch, CO/UT

Secretary, Josiah Austin – El Coronado Ranch, AZ/Sonora

Kenyon Fields – Mountain Island Ranch, CO/UT

Jeff Laszlo – Granger Ranches, MT

Bill McDonald – Sycamore Ranch, AZ

Wendy Millet – TomKat Ranch, CA

Ashlyn Perry – TroutStalker Ranch, NM

Duke Phillips – Ranchlands, CO

Mike Phillips – Turner Enterprises

Craig Taggert – Blanca-Trinchera, Tercio & Sheep Camp Ranches, CO

2014 AdvisorsAvery Anderson – Quivira Coalition, NM

George Cooper – Policy Advisor

Rick Danvir – Range and Wildlife Program Advisor, Casper, WY

Stacy Davies – Country Natural Beef, Roaring Springs Ranch, OR

Monique DiGiorgio – Chama Peak Land Alliance, NM

Richard Pritzlaff – Biophilia Fnd & Pritzlaff Ranch, NM

Luther Propst – Development Adviser

Dr. Michael Soulé – Society for Conservation Biology, CO

Whitney Tilt – Conservation Benchmarks, MT

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Lesli Allison, Executive Director – Lesli is a founding member of the Western Landowners Alliance. Formerly a ranch manager and member of the Chama Peak Land Alliance, Lesli has worked extensively with private landowners and multiple stakeholders to advance conservation, sustain working lands and support rural communities.

Kathleen Williams, Associate Director – Kathleen brings to WLA 30 years of experience in water and natural resource planning, management and policy. She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Instream Flow Council and as the Water Resources Program Manager for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. She is also a Montana state legislator.

Hallie Mahowald, Programs Manager – Hallie holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from the University of Denver and a M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She has worked on numerous sustainable development projects in the West and Central and South America. Prior to joining WLA, she worked for the U.S. Department of Energy handling NEPA compliance.

Veronica Rodriguez, Operations Manager – Veronica brings nearly twenty years of public service and administrative experience to WLA. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in American Studies, Veronica spent eleven years working for New Mexico Congressional Delegation offices and served six years as Northern Regional Director for US Senator V. Pete Domenici. As Northern Regional Director, Veronica assisted local NM communities in working with neighboring federal agencies on numerous natural resource management issues.

Western Landowners Alliance Staff

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Telling the story of working land stewardship

• High profile op-ed article to help raise awareness around the plight of sage grouse

• Video production profiling landowners making a difference in the West, the first in a series that support WLA initiatives and landowner concerns

• Production of an educational brochure to help spread the word about the importance of stream health

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WLA staff and advisors: Rick Danvir, Lesli Allison, Kathleen Williams, Hallie Mahowald, Luther Propst.

2014 in Review: Western Landowners Alliance

In October, WLA board and members gathered in Santa Fe, NM to host the first-ever New Mexico state-wide landowners meeting and to celebrate an award presentation by the New Mexico Land Conser-vancy to WLA’s executive director, Lesli Allison.

“The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” – Wendell Berry

WLA held its spring meeting at the High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado. Water resource policy experts Kathleen Williams and Melinda Kassen briefed WLA members on state and federal water issues. Rangeland management experts Fred Provenza, Roy Roath and Rick Danvir conducted a workshop on grazing management.

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“Ranching, conservation, ecological restoration —these things are not diametrically opposed. In fact, they go very well together.” – Jeff Laszlo, Granger Ranches

In June, WLA convened in Montana, hosting a full-day forum with landowners and partners, and participating in stewardship tours on Granger Ranches and the Flying D Ranch.

WLA co-hosted three well-attended meetings in Colorado and New Mexico on forest management and related public policy over the summer.

WLA has initiated a major research project to identify rangeland trends using satellite imagery and analysis. The project is a collaborative effort between WLA, Open Range Consulting, the Quivira Coalition and the Thornburg Foundation. Results will shed light on the impacts of various land management practices.

2014 in Review: Western Landowners Alliance

2020

In Memoriam Hal Salwasser WLA was saddened by the passing of Hal Salwasser, a founding member and trusted advisor. Hal was formerly the dean of the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. Prior to that he was the chief executive officer of the Pacific Southwest Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. He also previously served as regional forester for the northern region of the U.S. Forest Service, which included Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. We will miss Hal’s company, wisdom and passion.

Judith McBean WLA member Judith McBean was the owner of the Piojo Ranch in northeastern New Mexico. Judith was an exemplary land steward who ran a grassfed beef operation while also restoring riparian systems and land health. She was instrumental in founding the New Mexico High Plains Grasslands Alliance and will be deeply missed.

December brought WLA together at the Zapata Ranch in Colorado. The meeting included a stewardship tour with WLA board member and ranch manager Duke Philips, and representatives from TNC and the National Park Service to consider landscape-scale management across ownership boundaries.

WLA Vice-Chair Nelson Shirley and Quivira Coalition Executive Director Avery Anderson on the Granger Ranches, Ennis, MT

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THANK YOU to ALL who have contributed to WLA’s many successes in 2014!

The resources of the West and the landowners who contribute to their management are better off due to your generosity.

– Western Landowners Alliance

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PO Box 6278 • Santa Fe, NM 87502 • 505 466 1495

JOIN US!www.westernlandownersalliance.org