Coordinated resource management: A planning process that works

COORDINATED resource management is a powerful force shaping range resource management. Bear in mind, the force is more social than technical, however. It is primarily a function of altering human behavior. There exists an abundance of technical knowledge and skills on range resource management. The problem has been getting adversaries to listen and understand one another's needs so they know what knowledge and skills to bring to bear on problems. The Modoc/Washoe experiment For some time, I have been a practitioner of coordinated resource management, most recently through the Modoc/Washoe Experimental Stewardship Program in north-eastern California and northwestern Nevada. This program was authorized by the Rangeland Improvement Act of 1978. Congress asked the secretaries of agriculture and interior to develop and implement an experimental program that would provide incentives or rewards for grazing permit holders whose stewardship improved the condition of the public land covered by such permits. Why did Congress ask for this experimentation? In the mid-l970s, congressmen were being bombarded by hostile constituencies. Various interests were locked in combat over the Bureau of Land Management grazing environmental impact statements that had been mandated by a federal court. Given this setting, I'm sure many …