Broadly, I am interested in applying range management to achieve land management goals in an increasingly complex political and environmental decision climate. My interests extend to the many facets of applied range management: managing for wildlife habitat; prescription grazing to reduce invasive weed species; browsing to reduce fire fuels; and managing for native grasses and forbs. All of these common management goals are possible to achieve by carefully applying the timing, frequency, and intensity of grazing application in combination with the type and kind of livestock used.
With the UC Cooperative Extension, I am working to increase our scientific understanding of using goat grazing as a fire fuel reduction tool as compared to hand grubbing and mastication. I will explore multiple range, forestry and vegetation methodologies to create a realistic monitoring protocol for managers who apply livestock to chaparral fuels. A further goal is to work with the tribal and private utility landowners to create a long-term fuel management plan with existing cattle operators.