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Recognition of Rangelands – Rangelands are undoubtedly important. Rangelands are vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and deserts that cover about half of the earth's land surface. Rangelands are also important because they produce a wide variety of goods and services desired by society. These include livestock forage, wildlife habitat, water, mineral resources, wood products, wildland recreation, open space and natural beauty. The geographic extent and many important resources of rangelands make their proper use and management vitally important to people everywhere.

A Connection Between Science and Management – At the heart of the rangeland profession is a fundamental link between science and management. Rangeland research is richly informed by the knowledge gained by managing and monitoring the land.  Wise land management decisions depend on carefully conducted research that elucidates the mechanism and principles by which rangelands change and adapt.  An effective organization dedicated to understanding rangelands must foster the exchange of ideas among scientists and managers.

Learning from the Past – A rich heritage of rangeland education and research exists at the University of Idaho. In 1919, the UI became one of the first two universities in the world to offer an undergraduate degree in “range management.” The first Ph.D. degree completed in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho focused on rangeland ecology. UI professors including Ed Tisdale, Lee Sharp and Min Hironaka where among the founding fathers of range science and contributed vastly to our knowledge of rangeland work in our state and region.  Strategies that address today’s challenges will be built on this strong foundation.