The Texas Section of the Society for Range Management (TSSRM) will hold its annual conference Oct. 8 - 10, 2008, at the Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center in Nacogdoches, Texas, with the theme of “Restoration of East Texas Native Lands.”

“As our landscape continues to change, it is important that we keep our members informed of rangeland management issues,” said Jerry Payne, TSSRM president. “Our agenda is full of speakers who will bring us the most current and practical information.”

Speakers and topics for the conference include:

• Carl Fentress, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (retired), East Texas Historical Ecology

• Dr. James Kroll, director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research at Stephen F. Austin State University, “Fragmentation and Land Change in Eastern Texas over a 30-Year Period”

• Brad Raffle, Conservation Capital, LLC, Houston, “The Future of East Texas Ecosystem Services”

• Rusty Wood, forest stewardship biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Habitat Restoration for Wildlife in East Texas”

• Jay Whiteside, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Purdon, “West Navarro Bobwhite Restoration Initiative”

• V.B. Langston, Dow Agrosciences, The Woodland, “GrazonNext Herbicide, the Next Generation of Rangeland and Pasture Weed Control”

• Rob Ziehr, plant materials specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Temple, “Plant Release Types for Ecosystem Restoration”

A panel discussion with leaders from various government agencies will cover what benefits TSSRM can provide to agencies with responsibilities for rangelands.

Attendees will tour silvopasture establishment and mine reclamation using native plants on the afternoon of Oct. 8. An afternoon tour on Oct. 9 will visit the NRCS East Texas Plant Material Center, the Alazan Wildlife Management Area, and the Winston Ranch.

For more information about the conference or to register, contact Mike Stellbauer at [email protected] or 979-731-1123 or visit the TSSRM Web site.

The SRM is a professional scientific society and conservation organization whose members are concerned with studying, conserving, managing and sustaining the varied resources of the rangelands which comprise nearly half the land in the world. Established in 1948, SRM has more than 4,000 members in 48 countries, including many developing nations.