The Interagency Rangeland Ecological Site Description (ESD) workshop series is an interagency effort, facilitated by the Society for Range Management, and driven by the interagency Training Coordination Committee (TCC). The TCC is made up of more than 20 representatives from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Society for Range Management (SRM). The committee has worked together to expand upon successful collaborative efforts that have resulted from the Rangeland Interagency Ecological Site Manual (RIESM) and the draft handbook (under review). Click here to view a summary of the state of the ESD policy and interagency adoption.

SRM and agency partners have been moving forward with the planning of regional ESD training workshops following the successful Pilot Interagency Rangeland ESD Workshop in November 2010. The Pilot Workshop convened agency leadership to establish common ground for the ESD training program, identify training needs and to share information on the background, status and future of the multi-agency approach to ESD classification, mapping and management interpretation systems. Training Coordination Committee meetings and conference calls to continue building the ESD workshop program and training protocol are ongoing.

Regional ESD training workshops embrace a broad audience of attendees representing a diversity of federal, state and other agencies, the private sector and others. The workshops encompass three days (including time in the field each day) with content tailored to take advantage of local conditions and issues. The workshop objectives are:

The workshop content includes instruction on how to determine ecological sites and ecological states in the field and the framework for understanding and participating in the move from first to second generation ESDs. The workshop curriculum also aims to establish a basis for collaboration among participants and introduce them to the local experts who will be able to assist them in the future when developing projects and working with ESDs. Workshop content illustrates the current state of ESD development and implementation in the local area as well as act as a launching pad for additional collaborative efforts.

The current ESD training workshop schedule (past and future) follows:

SRM and the interagency Training Coordination Committee are enthusiastic about the ESD program and hope that other partners will continue to participate and contribute to the program's development. SRM would particularly like to thank the sponsoring agencies, which have supported the ESD workshop program and made the effort possible. Sponsoring partners are: the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

• Current State of ESD Policy and Interagency Adoption (pdf - 158 KB)

ESD Fact Sheets

ESD Special Issue of Rangelands

ARS Jornada ESD Site

ESD Suggested Reading

Using Web Soil Survey Instructions

Using the Soil Web Application for iPhone Instructions

Locations and dates for the next regional Interagency Ecological Site Applications Workshops in 2012 and 2013 will be identified in the near future. Upcoming planned workshops include:

• June 2012 in Winnemucca, Nevada (in development)