2025 Rangeland Fall Forum to explore the future of Idaho’s working landscapes

Idaho’s rangelands have long been used as working landscapes, but the demand for these lands and the way they are managed is changing with technology, resource pressures and a new generation of leaders. This will be the focus of the 2025 Rangeland Fall Forum, presented by University of Idaho‘s Rangeland Center and James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research, Oct. 2-3 at the Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center in Salmon.

This year’s forum will explore how rangeland stewards are looking to the future and using new ideas and new technologies to address challenges. Through a combination of interactive panel sessions and hands-on learning, speakers and attendees will explore how the next generation of leaders can thrive and support a vibrant future for Idaho’s rangelands.

“Some tools for managing rangelands are thousands of years old, like rock or wood fences, but as we enter an age of AI-assisted technologies and drones, rangeland stewards are going to have access to a wide variety of new tools,” said Eric Winford, associate director of the Rangeland Center.

Panelists at this year’s fall forum include Tip Hudson, Washington State University Extension specialist and host of “The Art of Range” podcast; Tori O’Neil, rancher; Paul Wolf and Colby McAdams, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and others.

The fall forum is open to anyone interested in rangelands, including operators, managers, businesses, nonprofits, governments, community members, journalists and students. The event is held annually, in partnership with the McClure Center, to explore current challenges and create opportunities for conversations.

“This year’s fall forum is an opportunity to share the latest tools and explore emerging policy approaches with a community of practitioners from across Idaho,” said Katherine Himes, director of the McClure Center.

The Rangeland Center was established in 2011 by the Idaho State Legislature to address the contemporary challenges facing Idaho rangelands and the communities that rely on them. The McClure Center opened in 2007 and conducts evidence-based research, informs public dialogue and policy, facilitates collaborations and engages students in learning about public policy making.

Register now at tinyurl.com/ycvfrb4p.

This story was provided courtesy of University of Idaho.