<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The W</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">estern Governors’ Association
hosted a </span><span style="display: inline !important; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">July 23 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">webinar
to launch a new Toolkit for Invasive Annual Grass Management in the West, wh<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important">ich featured presentations by members
of the interagency committee that worked to develop the toolkit, including</span></span></div>
<div style="">
<ul>
<li><strong style="font-size: medium; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: fira_sansbold;">Lindy Garner</strong><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium;">,
Sagebrush Ecosystem Invasive Species Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</span></li><li><strong style="font-size: medium; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: fira_sansbold;">Jeremy Maestas</strong><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium;">,
Ecologist/National Sagebrush Ecosystem Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service</span></li><li><strong style="font-size: medium; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: fira_sansbold;">Brian A. Mealor</strong><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium;">,
Director and Associate Professor, University of Wyoming Sheridan Research and Extension Center</span></li><li><strong style="font-size: medium; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 0px; font-family: fira_sansbold;">Brian A. Rutledge</strong><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium;">,
Director, Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative, The National Audubon Society</span></li></ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important"></span></span></div>
<div style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: medium; font-family: fira_sansregular;">WGA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under a Shared Stewardship</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: medium; font-family: fira_sansregular;"> </span><a href="https://westgov.org/news/article/western-governors-u.s.-department-of-agriculture-agree-to-collaboratively-address-land-management-challenges" target="_blank" style="font-size: medium; font-family: fira_sansbold; outline: none; color: rgb(100, 36, 17);">Memorandum
of Understanding</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: medium; font-family: fira_sansregular;">, have been collaborating on efforts to meaningfully address the large-scale infestation of invasive annual grasses on western forests and rangelands. The
result of this effort is the new toolkit for land managers to address the spread of invasive annual grasses in the West, including species such as cheatgrass, medusahead, and ventanata.</span><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<p style="margin: 25px 0px; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.4px; font-family: fira_sansregular; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255)">
The toolkit is comprised of three elements:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A roadmap for invasive grass management in the West, with new best management practices for the identification and protection of relatively intact “core” areas;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Case studies highlighting the application of these practices in Idaho and Wyoming; and</span></li><li><span style="font-family: fira_sansregular; font-size: medium; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A new geospatial data layer to help state and local officials manage invasive annual grasses at home, while also offering opportunities to identify new cross-boundary collaborative
projects.</span></li></ul>
The toolkit can be found at: https://westgov.org/images/editor/FINAL_Cheatgrass_Toolkit_July_2020.pdf
<div class="_Entity _EType_OWALinkPreview _EId_OWALinkPreview _EReadonly_1"></div>
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
The launch webinar is at: https://youtu.be/4qlMb_CGvQo</div>
<div id="Signature">
<div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt; line-height:115%; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; margin-bottom:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:normal; background:white">
<span style="font-size:9.5pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#222222"></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>