The San Juan Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hesperus will change its focus this year to range management, after a successful, decade-long cattle breeding program.

"There have been lots of rumors going around that we were going to close down, sell out to an airport, or become a wildlife refuge, but we’re here to stay," assured interim director Beth LaShell.

The sprawling research facility along the La Plata river drainage is under the Colorado State University system and sits on the old Fort Lewis College campus. A team of scientists conducts studies and experiments on different aspects of agriculture at the center, especially on how to deal effectively with the unique challenges of farming or ranching at high altitude. The results are then passed onto farmers and ranchers in Montezuma and La Plata counties.

The change is partly in response to the ongoing land-owner trend that favors smaller 10-40 acre ranchettes over larger farms that are more difficult to manage, have high overhead, and are tougher to make a profit from. Termed Integrated Resource Management, the new philosophy works to accommodate a wider variety of land-owner needs in a manner that preserves this region’s agricultural heritage.

"We will still be doing beef studies, but we are also going to be looking at the big picture more, we want to accommodate the smaller lot needs plus the larger ones," LaShell said. "For example we want to find out how different ranges and meadows can be most productive year after year. And it is equally important to preserve ecosystems and manage wildlife successfully; it’s all interlinked."

One of the biggest challenges facing land managers now is noxious weed infestation, she said. As the 35-acre ranchette mania brings urbanites into sensitive agriculture areas, researchers are preparing to educate them in identifying noxious weeds and how to eradicate them effectively.

Access to information is essential for protecting western lands bought up by outsiders moving in. For instance newcomers often bring misty visions of horses grazing peacefully on their new land, but what many don’t realize is that horses can cause irreparable damage to the land if not grazed properly, causing a multitude of problems.

"There needs to be a balance," said Tom Compton, Hesperus rancher and weather station manager for the center. "For example you need to reduce brush to encourage grasses to grow for grazing, but do that too much and you get an infestation of prairie dogs."

A task force, organized by the state agriculture board two years ago, has come up with three priorities for the research center: Historical preservation of old FLC buildings on the site, 35-acre land management research, and range preservation. How to best utilize limited irrigation water, vegetation control, and what the density threshold is for livestock grazing on larger and smaller ranches will also be analyzed.

What exactly will be done and when at the center regarding these goals will be decided when Dr. Doug Zalansky officially takes over as the new director April 1.

"Eventually we would like to have more outreach programs and seminars where folks can come out here, stay overnight, and learn about what they are interested in whether it be raising cattle, horses, alternative crops or wildlife preservation," LaShell said.