Summit Objectives
The objectives of the 2018 Great Plains Grassland Summit are to have participants learn more about and contribute science needs, ideas, and plans for managing, conserving and restoring grasslands at landscape scales and across boundaries in the Great Plains. Managers, researchers, and practitioners from all regions of the Great Plains and beyond are encouraged to attend.
Invited plenary experts will establish the context for the Summit by identifying challenges and opportunities focused around six themes:
- Working Lands
- Native Species and Biodiversity
- Invasive Species
- Wildland and Prescribed Fire
- Energy Development
- Climate, Weather and Water
Subsequent thematic breakout sessions will allow workshop participants to contribute ideas, issues, needs and steps towards an action plan to conserve, manage and restore Great Plains grasslands. A poster session will allow participants to contribute information on their own projects. A Summit report will be produced, based in large measure on feedback received during the breakout sessions, and additional synthesis papers will be published.
Great Plains Grassland Summit Steering Committee Members
Summit Agenda
**Click on the speaker names below to see their biosketch.
Draft List of Co-Leaders for Breakout Sessions
Tuesday, April 10
8:30 am Introduction and Welcome Address
Opening Address 1: Brian Ferebee, Regional Forester, Rocky Mountain Region, Lakewood, CO (Abstract PDF)
Opening Address 2: Keith Sexson, First Vice-President, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Pratt, KS (Abstract PDF)
9:30 Review of Summit Goals – Deborah M. Finch, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (Abstract PDF)
Join us to learn more about challenges and opportunities facing land managers of Great Plains grasslands. Take part in our discussion by providing input on ideas for future actions and research needed to sustain and restore the grasslands you care about.
10:00 Break
Science-Management Syntheses – What Do We Know and What Can We do About the Following Key Issues and Drivers in the Great Plains?
10:30 Working Lands Presentation – Ken Tate, Univ. California, Davis (Abstract PDF)
11:00 Invasive Plants – John Gaskin, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Abstract PDF)
11:30 Native Species & Biodiversity – David Augustine, USDA Agricultural Research Service (Abstract PDF)
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 Fire Presentation – Sam Fuhlendorf, Oklahoma State University (Abstract PDF)
1:30 Climate, Weather and Water Presentation – Dennis Ojima, Colorado State Univ. (Abstract PDF)
2:00 Energy Development – Jackie Ott, USDA Forest Service Research (Abstract PDF)
2:30 Overview of Objectives for Break-out Sessions
- Working Lands
- Invasive Species
- Native Species
- Fire
- Climate, Weather and Water
- Energy Development
3:00 pm Break and Move to Breakout Groups
3:30 Continue in Breakout Groups
5:30 Adjourn
6:00 pm Poster Session and Social
Wednesday, April 11
8:00 am General Session: Review of Day 1 Session
8:30 Break into Concurrent Breakout Sessions
- Working Lands
- Invasive Species
- Native Species
- Fire
- Climate, Weather and Water
- Energy Development
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 General Session: Report-out of Breakout Groups
1:00 Working Lands
1:15 Invasive Species
1:30 Native Species
1:45 Fire
2:00 Climate, Weather and Water
2:15 Energy Development
2:30 Break
3:00 Full Group Discussion of Action Plan
4:30 Review of Follow-up Plans
5:00 Close
Continuing Education Units (CEU)
Society for Ecological Restoration 
Society for Ecological Restoration has preapproved 8 CEUs under their Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) program.
The Wildlife Society 
The Wildlife Society has preapproved 13.5 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program.
Society for Range Management
Society for Range Management has preapproved 14 CEUs (Tues -6.5/ Wed 0 7.5) under the Certified Professional in Range Management (CPRM) program, though their Certified Range Management Consultants (CRMC’s).
Venue
Grand Hyatt
The Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver, CO is the venue for the summit.
1750 Welton Street
Denver, Colorado, 80202, USA
Contacts
For information about logistics, contact: Richard Zabel, 503-226-4562.
For information about the program, contact: Deborah Finch, 505-724-3671.