Western National Rangeland CDE is a premier range judging event that is uniquely designed to be relevant to issues faced by land managers on western rangelands. Rangeland landscapes dominate Western North America and yet most people who live near or even on rangelands know little about the resources they provide or principles of their management.
This hands-on event has a contemporary field component with five categories:
- Stocking Rate and Management/Current Rangeland Issue
- Plant Identification
- Site Description
- Rangeland Assessment
- Rangeland Ecosystem Measurements
During the awards ceremony dinner, students will receive the opportunity to listen to keynote speakers about rangeland career opportunities from professionals from natural resource management agencies and organizations or business operations involving rangelands such as ranching.
The goal of this contest is to raise awareness about rangelands and introduce career opportunities to high school students. Connecting youth with rangeland professionals is a solid pathway to attracting students to career opportunities on the range and one approach to increasing the number of rangeland professionals ready to enter the workforce. Participants can also apply the knowledge they have gained to the areas in which they live, work, and recreate.
Learn more about the Western National Range CDE’s beginning and see highlights from past events by viewing our History Page.
Western National Rangeland CDE 