Callie Puntenney

Using Local Knowledge of Rangelands to Inform Flexible Management in a Changing Climate

Climate change affects rangeland ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them. Idaho has large areas of public rangeland that support multiple uses, including livestock grazing. Ranchers and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) both manage the land year after year by using monitoring and observations to inform their management. Through qualitative analysis of interviews with local ranchers and BLM specialists in southern Idaho, I will learn what observations are being used to make management decisions on the land and when those decisions are occurring. The information from the project will allow us to identify aspects of observations, monitoring, or management in southern Idaho that may be affected by climate change. Identifying what aspects of ranchers’ and BLM specialists’ observations and management may be affected by climate change will be helpful for improving collaborative and flexible management of grazing on public rangelands in Idaho.

Callie is a second year master’s student in the Biology program and the Human-Environment Systems group. She hails from Colorado where she went to Colorado State University for a degree in wildlife biology and built professional experience as a wildlife technician, teacher, and environmental educator in Colorado and Montana. Her past experiences have given her the opportunity to work closely with prairie dogs, elk, bison, butterflies, jumping mice, and toads. The connections between wildlife and humans helped Callie decide to pursue further education that was more focused on the human side of natural resource science. She came to be part of the Human-Environment Systems group at BSU to explore the connections between humans and the environment in the unique and spectacular lands of Idaho. Callie has many interests beyond her research including art, history, psychology, and music and enjoys hearing stories, playing board games, and laughing at puns.