Future Directions of Usable Science for Rangeland Sustainability

As funding and support for rangeland research becomes more competitive, it is incumbent upon researchers and funders to ensure that needs of public and private land managers are met.  Coupled with funding constraints are ever-expanding environmental, financial, and societal pressures.  Given these challenges, there is great value to be gained by more closely aligning on-the-ground knowledge needs with knowledge production by university and agency researchers, as well as research funding organizations.  For this reason, the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable partnered with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes to convene a workshop to develop a research agenda focused on Future Directions for Usable Science for Rangeland Sustainability.  Areas of emphasis for this workshop included soils, water, plants, animals, and socio-economic aspects of rangeland sustainability.  Results and conclusions derived reflect 20 hours of dialogue among over 30 contributors from varied backgrounds and rangeland professions.  Participants developed a common understanding of the concept of “usable science.” Perspectives were incorporated from agencies, funding organizations, land managers, producers, non-government organizations, and academics.  Usable science considers the needs of its users throughout the scientific enterprise, in this case to ensure that rangelands continue to provide a desired mix of economic, ecological, and social benefits to current and future generations.  With that in mind participants created of a portfolio of recommendations for future directions of usable science for rangeland sustainability.  The workshop concluded with an assessment of project and product components for decision-makers and thought leaders.