CESU BLM AZ Strip Cooperative Monitoring Project

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Project Background Information: The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network is a national consortium of federal agencies, academic institutions, tribal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental conservation organizations (300 partners). The Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (DSCESU) is a cooperative network, transcending political and institutional boundaries, which creates innovative opportunities for research, education, and technical assistance in support of the management and stewardship by partner agencies of the Desert Southwest natural, cultural, and social resources. The DSCESU has a unique collaborative relationship with research scientists, end users of research products, the public, and educators who are trained to bridge the gap between researchers, science users and educators. The assistance agreement for the U of A Monitoring Project (Agreement #L09AC15972) was started in September 2003 in an effort to assist the Arizona Strip District in conducting vegetation monitoring studies within active public land grazing allotments. This agreement has been in place since that date. The major focus was finding a partner to work side-by-side BLM in collecting monitoring data on those allotments where Rangeland Health Assessments were being implemented. This project has only involved BLM and U of A as partners and is specific to the collection vegetation monitoring data using approved BLM methods and protocol.

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