Livestock and Ranching Steering Committee Update: October 2021
Greetings,
I hope that you find this issue of the Livestock and Ranching Steering Committee quarterly newsletter to be informative and timely. My name is Roel Lopez, and I was recently appointed the new department head for the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. In this role, I provide leadership for the department’s programs to include continued support of the Livestock and Ranching Steering Committee efforts moving forward. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Cliff Lamb for his inaugural efforts with the committee and look forward to engaging with him and other committee members as we realize our goal of ensuring the sustainability and resiliency of livestock and ranching operations throughout Texas. I also sincerely thank Bob McCann and Jim McAdams for their continued leadership as committee co-chairs.
Here we highlight Texas A&M University faculty and staff research and Extension activities to include the following items of interest:
Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management (RWFM)
Departmental faculty, staff and students have hit the ground running this past month. The fall semester is the start of new beginnings as students returned to campus. For RWFM, we are in the process of hiring several new faculty, delivering and implementing our new undergraduate and graduate curriculum, and ensuring that we stay connected to you and to those who steward our state’s rangelands and associated livestock operations. It’s exciting to see the energy and shared vision of all those involved in implementing the department’s roadmap. Stayed tuned for upcoming events and activities in the near future!
Center for Grazing Lands and Ranch Management
A key focus of the committee is to reimagine a center that brings together like-minded partners to meet the needs of the Texas ranching community. The center’s goal is to foster strong collaboration through strong interdisciplinary efforts in the areas of rangelands, wildlife, animal science, agricultural economics, soil and crop sciences, entomology and agricultural policy. In the next six months, we plan to outline a strategic vision and roadmap focusing on applied research, practical education and training opportunities, and the assessment and promotion of policies improving livestock and ranching systems. Our success will be realized through the broad engagement of partners in the pursuit of our shared vision.
Conference of Animal Identification Systems
A few weeks ago, committee members kicked off plans to host a national conference on the current state of animal ID to include understanding what new technology may be available in the future. A familiar face to many of you, Dr. Jason Cleere, is leading the effort to host the conference in Spring 2022. Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming program and the final conference location – we look forward to your participation.
In closing, we thank you for your continued support and investment in our programs at Texas A&M AgriLife. Your engagement will ensure fruitful relationships today and into the future. Please feel free to contact Bob McCann, Jim McAdams or myself should you have any questions.
Appreciate all you do,
