Over the last decade, an increased interest in sagebrush rangelands and the advent of new technologies have resulted in an explosion of new datasets, scientific studies, and tools, putting vast quantities of data at our fingertips. These new products present opportunities to use a wealth of powerful new data sources to inform decision-making, but also present challenges for users in keeping up with an ever-changing list of new technical tools, understanding their uses and limitations, and determining how these tools can efficiently and effectively provide actionable information to guide management. INR works actively with partners to provide technical support and resources to help integrate science, technology, and data into management applications.
In addition to our technical transfer work in Oregon, INR collaborates with regional partners to scale up our approach. The Sagebrush Technical Transfer Network is a partnership between INR and the Intermountain West Joint Venture to highlight the importance of technical transfer and provide resources to “bridge the gap” between science and on-the-ground management. Technical (“tech”) transfer is the process of transferring science, data, technology, best practices, and other technical information to end-users who influence land management. When done successfully, technical transfer expands awareness and integration of relevant technical information and facilitates adoption of practices that strengthen on-the-ground outcomes of management activities. Technical transfer requires significant time, skills, and expertise, which are rarely explicitly taught or supported, and we seek to equip these individuals with resources, training, examples, and professional networks to support and strengthen their technical transfer work. Stay tuned for an upcoming Sagebrush Technical Transfer Network website and manuscript describing our approach.