Table of Contents Hotel Map Front Cover Welcome 2-3 Welcome from Senator Mark Udall 4 Acknowledgements 5 Historical Context, Visions and Outcomes 6 Jed’s Corner 7 LandHelp 7 Planning Hexagon 8 General Information 8 Field Trips 9 Congress Agenda 10-21 Plenary, Technical Sessions & Symposia 22-51 Abstracts Poster Abstracts 52-53 About the Presenters 54-73 Exhibitor & Sponsor Directory 74-76 Advertisements 77-78 Notes Pages 79-80 Thank You Sponsors Back Cover 1 Welcome! Welcome Congress Participants! We are likely here because wildlife and conservation values are important personally and to society. On private and communal lands, wildlife is not equally important to everyone and conservation might not be in the immediate best interests of persons who think first about their livelihoods. How do we unleash the spirit and actions for managing wildlife on private and communal lands? Wildlife does not know about ownership boundaries. They do respond to how the land is managed. Are incentives sufficient to motivate positive private actions to manage abundant and imperiled species? If not, the consequences of negative actions are undesirable. If the spirit of public and private cooperation was great, we would not have the need for our gathering or to constantly clarify authority and responsibility, itemize needed actions, and to celebrate positive outcomes. Fortunately, there are striking examples locally and from around the world showing how wildlife and livelihoods can exist on private and communal lands. Some private examples are better than public examples of conservation. To celebrate successes and to stimulate a better future, our Congress features challenging plenary presentations, topical and important symposia on a variety of relevant themes, contributed information, field experiences, with discussions and workshops for you to convert your interests into actions. Symposia topics that you will want to read abstracts about or to see include: • The Business of Conservation and role of private land owners: with contributions from western US to Africa featuring the Texas Wildlife Association, Western Landowners Alliance, and the North American Grouse Partnership. • Working with landowners to provide biodiversity and to protect imperiled species, such as rare plants in Colorado, Panthers in Florida, Tigers in Asia, and ranch wildlife on the Chile-Argentina border or Flint Hills of Kansas, will be addressed through the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Nature Conservancy, and NatureServe. • Using wild meats, raising elk and deer in captive settings with help from: North American Elk Breeders Association, North American Deer Farmer’s Association, and supply chain insights from Africa. 2 • Private land management programs and the work of private land biologists sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW): featuring persons with interrelated ties to Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Pheasants Forever, US Fish and Wildlife Service, CPW, local landowners, boards, and cooperating agencies and organizations. • Human and Wildlife Conflicts sponsored by the National Wildlife Research Center with a special day-long session about managing feral pigs organized by Texas A&M Extension and other professionals from Fort Collins to Southern US. Europe is having their own conference on pig problems and solutions so they are occupied closer to home. • Climate issues facing environments that landowners must consider for their livelihoods and wildlife: addressed by US Climate Science Center professionals from CSU and CU. • Energy developments have potentials to change livelihoods, landscapes, wildlife, and conservation: the High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado provides examples of research and practices that show how energy, wildlife, and landowners can live more compatibly. • Benefits, barriers, and examples around the world are reviewed in the Community Conservation Symposium. • For those who have outstanding problem solving skills, learn about approaches to tackle the huge issues of poaching and conservation of elephants and rhino with help from Wildlife Protection Solutions, the WILD organization, and perhaps using drones. • Educators will want to see if we are training students well enough to work on private land issues; and how to use stories, websites, and creative ideas--such as puppets and emotions--to instill a positive spirit for learning, using information, and taking actions. The basic question of “why should I manage for wildlife or human access to my lands when they do not add value to my interests and livelihood?” is a constant battle. The last event of this type was held in South Africa where I learned the phrase “if it pays, it stays!” Our job is to make wildlife valuable so it can stay forever! Toward helping persons to help themselves, Dr. Delwin E. Benson Congress Chairman Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado USA 3 Welcome From Senator Mark Udall Dear Fellow Coloradans and Congress Attendees, As a fifth-generation Westerner, avid outdoorsman, and Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, I understand the need to approach land and wildlife management in a balanced and collaborative way. I want to commend the organizers and attendees of this 8th International Congress for Wildlife and Livelihoods on Private and Communal Lands for bringing together a broad array of stakeholders and providing a place for them to discuss the pressing issues of our time. As Colorado’s senior Senator, I have traveled all over the state and had conversations with local Coloradans on issues ranging everywhere from economic development to environmental conservation. The one thing that always stands out from these conversations is the broad consensus that Colorado provides a special way of life, one whose backbone is our pristine natural landscapes, abundant resource endowments and good people. We need to encourage policies that respect and protect our treasured landscapes while at the same time providing good-paying job opportunities in the state. These days it is easy for even small issues to become politicized, but I believe that the best policies are created from local, community-driven dialogue. I remain strongly committed to ensuring the country we leave to our children is better than the one given to us by our parents. This commitment requires us to be good stewards of our communities and the environment, so I applaud the organizers of this event for providing a forum for people to share ideas and find common ground. Sincerely, Mark Udall U.S. Senator 4 Acknowledgements SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE FOR PLANNING & SYMPOSIA DEVELOPMENT: Lesli Allison Western Landowners Alliance Travis Lowe North American Elk Breeders Association David Anderson Colorado Natural Heritage Program Ken Morgan Colorado Parks and Wildlife Steve Belinda The High Lonesome Ranch Jeffrey Morisette North Central Climate Science Center Stewart Breck USDA-APHIS National Wildlife Research Center Terry Riley The Grouse Partnership John Calderazzo Colorado State University Shawn Schafer North American Deer Farmers Association Rick Danvir Western Landowners Alliance Martha Sullins Colorado State University Extension Gert Dry Wildlife Ranching South Africa Craig Taggart Western Landowners Alliance Billy Higginbotham Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Dawn Thilmany Colorado State University Extension Rebecca Hill Colorado State University Extension Wouter van Hoven Wildlife Protection Solutions FIELD TRIPS: David Armstrong Sylvan Dale Ranch Ken Morgan MacGregor Ranch Ryan Boggs LightHawk Flights Katie Phillips Rocky Mountain National Park Collaboration Brett Davidson Blue Valley Ranch Shannon Rochelle LightHawk Flights Mark DeGregorio Rocky Mountain National Park Collaboration Dave Smith Rocky Mountain National Park Collaboration Perry Handyside Buffalo Roam Resources Sher Steuben Blue Valley Ranch Therese Johnson Rocky Mountain National Park Collaboration Volunteer Pilots LightHawk Flights John Kossler Western Meridian Resources TECHNICAL AND PROMOTIONAL ASSISTANCE: Chad Bishop, Ken Morgan & Windi Padia Colorado Parks and Wildlife Peder Halseide & Donald Schrupp www.LandHelp.info Jon Haufler, Lisa Moore, & Winifred Kessler The Wildlife Society Allison Level & Jocelyn Boice Colorado State University – CSU Library Archives Robin McGee, Donald Schrupp & Brenda Carns Colorado State University - Web and Abstract Planning Kelsey Peterson, Mario Caballero & Jeffrey Wood Colorado State University – Video Production, Editing and Distribution Ron Regan Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Cheryl Riley Pheasants and Quail Forever Donald Schrupp, Melinda Laituri & David Ramsay Colorado State University – Google Liquid Galaxy David Stratton & Jeri Griego – Jed’s Corner Donna Weyer – Abstract Review EVENT PLANNING COORDINATION: Delaney Meeting & Event Management Emily Herman & Staff YMCA of the Rockies Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources; Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology; Extension; International Office; School of Global Environmental Sustainability; Conference Services Funding Sponsors - Highlighted elsewhere, but integral to the success! Carol Jean Benson, Eugene Decker, Alyson Sothoron, Jason Hay & Matt Bergles - Support, Guidance and Assistance Paul Jones and Blue Valley Ranch – Major Donor Congress Volunteers PAST INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE RANCHING