The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Cattlemens Association (CCA) corroborated their commitment to the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition by funding a Rangeland Director position to advance the goals of the Coalition. Tracy Schohr, former Director of Industry Affairs for CCA, was selected for the position and will work to preserve Californias private rangelands by coordinating the efforts of this unique partnership.
"Ms. Schohr shares the commitment and passion of the members of the Coalition," said Steve Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Manager for California and Nevada Operations. "She has worked with us from the beginning to identify conservation opportunities for land owners and to remove obstacles in implementing conservation."
The California Rangeland Conservation Coalition is a partnership between environmentalists, agriculture and government agencies. The Coalition began in 2004 when the USFWS and CCA recognized a common interest in preserving and protecting private rangelands. Rangelands are essential to wildlife and to the continued viability of Californias ranching industry. Today, this common ground has brought together more than 46 organizations, who are traditionally adversaries, but are now bonded in a common resolution to protect and preserve Californias working landscapes.
As director, Schohr will provide leadership to the Coalition and will endorse voluntary conservation programs available to private landowners to preserve and enhance Central Valley rangelands and wildlife.
"Tracys leadership combined with the commitment of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work with the ranching community to maintain working landscapes for future generations significantly strengthens the Coalition," said CCA president-elect Bruce Hafenfeld, an avid supporter of the Coalition. "By providing the structure and funding needed by the Coalition, the members resolution has become a reality."
"We look forward to working with Tracy and the other Coalition partners in this important endeavor," said Kim Delfino, California Director for Defenders of Wildlife. "Without creative partnerships to keep private lands as ranchland, each year we will continue to lose thousands of acres of important habitat to development. We also thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its contribution to the Coalition efforts."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
