Desatoya Ecosystem Long-Term Range Monitoring Plan (Grazing and Monitoring), 1997–present
Smith Creek Ranch LLC, Nevada
Synergy’s long-term range monitoring provided baseline data collection on upland and riparian sites for two Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing allotments. This project also included agency coordination, ecological site inventory, and design of a monitoring plan. Our monitoring took into account rangeland health, riparian health, livestock management, wild horse issues, sage grouse habitat issues, and special status fish species issues. This enabled Synergy to design a year-long grazing plan with rotation through multiple grazing use areas across 2 allotments. Synergy’s parallel monitoring program provides feedback on the grazing program to refine operations and meet changing agency objectives for the past 15 years. The grazing and monitoring plans were developed in coordination with Carson City BLM and integrated into the Desatoya Ecosystem Management Plan. This is an example of a long-term range monitoring project that included vegetation inventory on over 150,000 acres.
Ecological Status Inventories, 1996-Present
Synergy’s long-term range monitoring team has completed ecological status inventories on over 10 million acres of Nevada, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, California, and Idaho over the past 18 years. Ecological status inventories are very similar across projects because each requires evaluation of the total landscape as well as detailed data collection at selected sample points. Each point sampled uses a suite of inventory protocols and requires site selection, delineation of specific plant communities, and an understanding of complex ecological concepts.
Badger Ranch, 1991-Present
Battle Mountain, Nevada
Our team provided long-term rangeland monitoring, analysis, litigation support, and agency coordination for the Badger Ranch in Battle Mountain, Nevada. We have worked with the Filippinis to provide natural resource technical services to their ranch for almost 30 years. Services provided include data collection, response to agency documents, participation in meetings, litigation support, coordination with mining companies, and representation in Nevada and DC in regard to public land ranching, private leases, wildlife, and fire. Synergy has stepped in for our client’s needs against changing circumstances and monitoring requirements.
Long-term Range Monitoring to Ranches, 1996-Present
Our long-term range monitoring services have been provided to ranches throughout the West. Our rangeland data collection has provided information for grazing plans, coordi-nation with agencies and stocking rate calculations. We’ve assisted in planning against drought, monitoring wildlife habitats and coordinating with mining and construction to preserve rangeland resources. We have learned to respond to federal agency actions, rep-resenting ranches at agency meetings, providing litigation support, representing ranch in-terests in Washington, D.C.
