By MOLLY LANGHORST,
CSC COLLEGE RELATIONS
CHADRON – CSC alumna Andrea Westlake of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, received the Early Career National Award during the Society for Range Management’s (SRM) 77th Annual Meeting in Sparks, Nevada, in February. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a key supporter of the annual SRM conference.
The NRCS award Westlake received honors employees who have shown outstanding service to NRCS and their customers. The award is intended to encourage and recognize early career (10 years or less) employees for outstanding performance in the grazing lands profession.
Westlake graduated from CSC in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Rangeland Management with Rangeland Livestock and Wildlife Management options.
According to Westlake, her education at CSC afforded her exposure to a wide variety of agricultural disciplines that she has utilized throughout her career.
“CSC provided me with a strong educational foundation that included not only the pursuit of knowledge, but also a vision for applying this expertise toward meaningful conservation efforts,” Westlake said. “My experiences at CSC have proven instrumental throughout my career, enabling me to approach conservation challenges with a well-rounded perspective.”
Westlake is an NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist with Belle Fourche Field Office in South Dakota, where she has worked for the past seven years. Previously, she worked as a Bureau of Land Management Range Technician and Cartologist.
According to Westlake, her position covers two counties with various land uses.
“I work with agriculture producers to adapt conservation plans to meet their goals and objectives for their operations,” Westlake said. “This is done by creating grazing systems on rangeland and cropland to improve forage production and soil health, as well as planning and implementing conservation practices and management, such as livestock watering systems, windbreaks, fences, cover crops, and native grass seedings.”
Westlake is also responsible for training new employees on implementing grazing plans with an emphasis on conducting rangeland inventories and rangeland health assessments.
In 2022, Westlake received the South Dakota NRCS Early Career Range Conservationist of the Year Award after being nominated by her colleagues. Her nomination was subsequently elevated to the national level, culminating in her receiving the 2023 National NRCS Early Career Range Conservationist of the Year Award.
According to NRCS Chief Terry Cosby, Westlake’s skills have been helpful when updating and completing projects and descriptions.
“Andrea’s technical skills have been extremely helpful with updating much-needed Rangeland Health Reference Sheets and completing ecological site descriptions,” Cosby said. “She is an active member of a local working group in the Black Hills charged with refining and improving complex ecological site descriptions.”
According to Westlake, one of her career-defining moments was spearheading a large-scale collaborative conservation project, an initiative that brought together the NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Butte County Conservation District to implement sustainable practices on six ranches covering approximately 50,000 acres.
“Our efforts included the development of a shared livestock watering system, cross fencing, conversion of cropland to rangeland, stream crossings, windbreaks, and beaver dam analogs,” Westlake said. “Such projects highlight the power of strong partnership and innovation in advancing conservation goals.”
Although she had not originally planned to attend the SRM conference, Westlake is glad she was able to accept the award in person.
“Originally, I was not informed of winning the award. My boss called me a week before and asked if I would attend to assist with a ‘Women Making a Change in Range’ presentation. I turned it down because I didn’t think I would be able to get away on such short notice. At that time, they told me I had the opportunity to attend to accept this award. Obviously, this experience showed me the importance of adaptability and seizing opportunities for professional growth as it was an invaluable experience and marked a pivotal moment in my career,” she said.
Westlake found the SRM Conference enriching.
“The conference facilitated invaluable networking and provided a platform to engage with contemporary issues in rangeland conservation, marking a pivotal moment in my career. My attendance at the SRM meetings, including the state-level gatherings in South Dakota and the national conference, has been enriching,” Westlake said. “These forums are important for anyone committed to the field of rangeland management, offering diverse opportunities for learning, collaboration, and professional advancement.”
Looking ahead, Westlake aspires to serve as an Area Rangeland Management Specialist.
“This role promises broader impact by covering a larger geographical area than my current role and would include collaboration on more diverse rangeland projects,” Westlake said.