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CapitalPress.com
June 29, 2018
People & Places
Sheep can improve rangeland
Capital Press
Established 1928
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J. Bret Taylor supervises unique
sheep grazing studies in Idaho
By DIANNA TROYER
For the Capital Press
When sheep are grazed
at certain intensities during
spring and fall, they can help
rehabilitate sagebrush habitat
after it has burned, accord-
ing to innovative studies at
the USDA’s Agricultural Re-
search Service U.S. Sheep
Experiment Station in eastern
Idaho.
“We’re looking at the best
ways to manage sagebrush
steppe in the Upper Mountain
West, so it can be sustainable
for sage grouse habitat as well
as livestock production,” said
J. Bret Taylor, research leader
and supervisory animal scien-
tist at the station near Dubois.
Taylor, an expert in live-
stock production and nutrition,
focuses on ways to improve
lifetime production yield
of range sheep and shrub-
land health and sustainability.
“The sagebrush steppe is
fascinating to me because it’s
an important shrubland eco-
system that provides many,
many diverse benefits,” he
said.
Fire simulation
In 2008 and 2009, 16 pas-
tures with sagebrush were
burned at the station, simu-
lating how wildfires on public
land throughout the West have
scorched habitat essential for
sage grouse, a species of con-
cern.
As the pastures began re-
covering, several scenarios
were created to investigate
how different intensities of
spring and fall grazing affect
sagebrush and other plant
growth.
Burned habitats recov-
ered best when pastures were
grazed lightly in spring, then
rested for a year or two. The
same pastures could be grazed
moderately in the fall annual-
ly.
“Placing more emphasis
on fall grazing has improved
the recovering habitat,” he
said.
In spring, sheep tend to eat
their favorite plants of grass
and forbs and avoid sage-
brush. As a result, repeated
heavy spring grazing tends
to promote greater density of
sagebrush, reduce plant diver-
sity, and give rise to invasive
plants, the study has shown.
In the fall, however, sheep
tend to graze on all types of
plants including some sage-
brush. Essentially, the sheep
are pruning the sagebrush,
preventing it from growing
too thickly.
“If sagebrush canopy be-
comes too dense, it’s unsuit-
able for grouse or livestock
and increases risk of wild-
fire,” Taylor said. “As sheep
eat dried plants in fall, they’re
scattering and cultivating the
seeds. We’re grazing sheep in
such a way to keep sagebrush
at an optimal canopy cover.”
Acquired taste
Sheep do not consume
much sagebrush. Howev-
er, researchers have noticed
some sheep eat more sage-
brush than others.
Taylor compared it to how
some people are genetically
predisposed to enjoy the fla-
Western
Innovator
J. Bret Taylor
Occupation: Research lead-
er and supervisory animal
scientist at the U.S. Sheep
Experiment Station near
Dubois, Idaho
Age: 49
Education: Bachelor’s
degrees in biochemistry and
animal science, West Texas
A&M University; master’s
degree and Ph.D. from New
Mexico State University
in ruminant nutrition and
molecular biology with
emphasis in toxicology;
Courtesy of Sam Cox
J. Bret Taylor is supervising studies in eastern Idaho on the effect
of sheep grazing on sagebrush steppe after it has burned.
vor of some foods.
“Some people naturally
like broccoli or black coffee,
while others don’t,” he said.
“Studies have shown it’s due
to a person’s genetic code.”
To identify sheep that are
inclined to eat more sagebrush
than other sheep, researchers
tested the reaction of rams to-
ward a bitter compound that
was placed in their drinking
water.
“The bitter flavor didn’t
bother some rams at all, while
others disliked it and wouldn’t
drink the water,” Taylor said.
“We’ll breed the rams that
didn’t seem to notice the bit-
terness to ewes this fall and
see if their offspring will con-
sume more sagebrush.”
In both studies, Taylor
credits cooperators, Melinda
Ellison and Joel Yelich from
the University of Idaho’s
Nancy M. Cummings Re-
search, Extension and Educa-
tion Center in Salmon.
“The studies will help pro-
Author, editor: Authored
or co-authored more than
90 peer-reviewed articles; a
former division and associ-
ate editor for the Journal of
Animal Science and guest
editor for the Animal Fron-
tiers journal
Memberships: Society
for Range Management,
American Society of Animal
Science, International Soci-
ety for Selenium Research;
a past president of the
Western Section American
Society of Animal Science.
Family: Wife and two
children
For the Capital Press
SALEM, Ore. — Kirk
Hutchinson, former agricul-
ture instructor and FFA advis-
er at Perrydale High School
in Amity Ore., has come out
of retirement to become ex-
ecutive director of the newly
organized Future Natural Re-
source Leaders of Oregon.
Chartered in 2016, the or-
ganization is the first state-
wide Career Technical Educa-
tion program in the nation for
students who wish to pursue
careers in forestry, outdoor
recreation, fish and wildlife,
ecology, environmental sci-
ence or other areas of natu-
ral resources. The group held
its second annual conven-
tion April 27-28 at Hopkins
Demonstration Forest in Ore-
gon City.
The organization is the
brainchild of Reynold Gard-
ner, agriculture and natural
resource systems specialist
for the Oregon Department of
Education, and Peter Matzka,
Oregon State University
Clackamas County forest-
ry outreach coordinator. It is
modeled after the 90-year-old
nationwide FFA program that
provides a vital connection
between classroom study, real
world applications, leadership
training and career placement.
Matzka, who led the group
Courtesy Photo
Students try out a log harvesting simulator at the Future Natural
Resource Leaders annual convention.
Kirk Hutchinson, executive
director of the Future Natural
Resource Leaders of Oregon.
through the first year to get it
started, will continue to work
with Hutchinson as its advis-
er.
“My ultimate goal is ed-
ucation, and to that end I am
challenged to build a career
education organization that
does the best possible for
these kids,” Hutchinson said.
“We had 125 kids or so from
11 schools attend the conven-
tion, we have five or six more
(schools) that are ready to be
on board.”
The five-year plan antici-
pates 50 schools enrolled in
the program.
“It’s thanks to the help,
support and enthusiasm of
students, teachers, industry
representatives and other part-
ners, that we have had a re-
markable year of growth and
chickens and pigs every morn-
ing before school and thought
I wanted to be a farmer when
I grew up,” Hutchinson said.
“I went to Portland Commu-
nity College and learned to be
a welder but didn’t like sitting
in fumes all day so went to
OSU and studied agriculture.
I had never heard of FFA or
seen a ‘blue jacket’ and when I
found out that you could teach
agriculture, I decided I would
teach for 10 years and then be
a farmer. I taught two years in
St. Paul, came to Perrydale in
1984 and stayed there until I
retired in 2011.”
During the first day of the
convention, students heard
talks from representatives
of Seneca Sawmill Co. and
Basco Logging and partici-
pated in technical events that
Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press
development,” Hutchinson
said. “We’ve been fortunate
to have a great group of Ca-
reer Technical Education in-
structors that have understood
the importance of broadening
the kids’ education beyond
the classroom, putting time
and effort into these kids out-
side of their regular teaching
duties.”
Hutchinson, who was
born and raised on a small
farm in southwest Portland’s
Multnomah Village, attend-
ed Wilson High School be-
fore achieving agriculture
and teaching degrees from
Oregon State University. His
award-winning years as an
agriculture teacher and FFA
adviser at Perrydale High
School are legendary.
“I milked the cow, fed the
ducers make decisions about
the length and location of
grazing and be conscientious
about forage availability,
season of grazing and sage
grouse habitat,” he said.
included such topics as com-
pass and pacing, ground log
scaling, job interviews, map
reading, timber cruising and
tree identification.
The next day included
skill events such as arbor tree
climbing, ax throwing, cross-
cut bucking, spur tree climb-
ing, cable splicing, choker
setting, chainsaw bucking and
log rolling.
“FNRL isn’t just about
coming to convention and
sawing logs and throwing a
few axes, however,” Hutchin-
son said. “It is learning how
to work hard, be on time, be
respectful and learn to work
in groups. Many will work
in jobs we don’t even know
about today so it is important
get away from specific knowl-
edge and focus on the type of
worker you are. We need to
prepare these kids to be suc-
cessful in any job that may
come their way.”
This summer they will de-
velop a handbook for chapters
at the local and state levels.
“It is this education beyond
the classroom that I believe
helps make lifelong learners
and to help them realize that
what we learn today will just
be background for what we do
tomorrow is important.”
For more info call Kirk
Hutchinson at 503-550-0471
or email him at hutchfnrl@
gmail.com
Calendar
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home page of our website at www.
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mit an Event.” Calendar items can
also be mailed to Capital Press, 1400
Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
or emailed to newsroom@capital-
press.com. Write “Calendar” in the
subject line.
Saturday, June 30
Goats/Sheep Parasite Man-
agement SIPM. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. OSU
Southern Oregon Research and
Extension Center Auditorium, 569
Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore.
This one-day class on Sustainable
Integrated Parasite Management
(SIPM) will include learning about:
managed grazing, 5-point checks,
fecal egg counts, body condition scor-
ing, condensed tannin feeds, nutri-
tional management, culling/selection
and copper-oxide wire particles. Cost:
$45 one-day event. https://extension.
oregonstate.edu
Sunday-Wednesday
July 1-4
geneprorodeo.com/
Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo. 5 p.m.
Buckeroo Rodeo Grounds, 815 Shir-
ley St., Molalla, Ore. Join us in cele-
brating our nation’s birthday with non-
stop rodeo action, mutton bustin’, a
carnival midway, food and vendors. A
fireworks show, live music and dance
follow each evening performance.
Website: http://www.molallabuckeroo.
com
Caneberry Field Day. 1-5 p.m.
OSU North Willamette Research and
Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley
Road, Aurora, Ore. This is the annual
field day for commercial and back-
yard caneberry growers. Sponsored
by Oregon State University. Website:
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/
Tuesday-Saturday
July 3-7
St. Paul Rodeo. 7:30 p.m. Ro-
deo Grounds, Main Street, St. Paul,
Ore. The 83rd annual St. Paul Rodeo
runs July 3-7 and celebrates Inde-
pendence Day with five days of fun.
Website: http://www.stpaulrodeo.com
Eugene Pro Rodeo. 5 p.m. Ro-
deo Grounds, 90751 Prairie Road,
Eugene, Ore. Rodeo, dances and
fireworks are featured. Closed Thurs-
day, July 5. Website: http://www.eu-
Wednesday, July 11
Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N.
Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This
is the fourth session of a six-session
course on forest ecology, silviculture,
wildlife habitat, and other forestry
topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@
uidaho.edu
Friday, July 13
Forest Root Disease Workshop.
8 a.m.-4 p.m. UI Extension, Koote-
nai County, 1808 N. Third St., Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho. This program is aimed
at both forest managers and forest
landowners who are interested in
learning more about forest root dis-
eases. The event spends the morn-
ing indoors learning about the basics.
The afternoon is spent outside in the
forest. This workshop is limited to 35
participants. Cost: $20 by mail, $22
online. Website: http://www.uidaho.
edu/extension/forestry/
Forestry Shortcourse. 9 a.m.-
noon. Sandpoint Orchard, 10881 N.
Boyer Road, Sandpoint, Idaho. This
is the fifth session of a six-session
course on forest ecology, silviculture,
wildlife habitat, and other forestry
topics. Cost: $38 Email: cschnepf@
uidaho.edu
Friday-Sunday
July 13-29
Friday, July 20
California State Fair. 11 a.m.-10
p.m. California Expo Center, 1600
Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, Calif.
California’s state fair brings out the
best is the state’s agriculture. Web-
site: http://www.castatefair.org
Wednesday, July 18
Blueberry Field Day. 1-5 p.m.
OSU North Willamette Research and
Extension Center, 15210 NE Miley
Road, Aurora, Ore. This is the annual
field day for commercial and back-
yard growers. Sponsored by Oregon
State University. Website: http://ore-
gonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/
Rick Hansen
Chief Financial Officer
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