Hello fellow SRMers. Looking forward to green grass time!

In my last message, where I proposed that a house renovation was a perfect metaphor for life, I can tell you that living in a construction zone over the last three months has not been pleasant. I reflect on the day-to-day grind this has been for us and come back to the old expression. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Really? We had a roof over our heads, our own beef in the freezer, and a hot-plate and BBQ to cook on. C’mon, it could have been worse.

In our SRM 2025 planning meeting today, Carlos talked about our profession being at a low ebb right now. That may be true in the bureaucratic and administrative worlds, but in the real world, nothing could be further from the truth. The natural world has its threats for sure, but what it needs is people like us in SRM. You can talk about the big picture, Climate Change, etc., but in my view, every little thing each one of us does to make things better, every day, is more important. 

It might be working with your rancher clients to develop a better grazing management plan, which makes better use of the forage and protects Species at Risk, or trying to find a solution to a riparian zone that just keeps going downward in condition due to destructive high water events, or figuring out how to keep cows and spawning kokanee, or rainbows or bull trout being able to co-exist, or helping the economics of ranches so folks aren’t forced to sell out to developers, or working on the Stewardship of Natural Areas with dedicated Conservation Objectives. The one thing I do know is that our members are involved in more things than I can think of right now. And that’s the whole point! 

We are hosting the International Meeting in Spokane in 2025. Seems like a long way off, but there is much to be done and time travels swiftly. If you would like to throw in and help out in any way – welcome aboard! At this time, we are recruiting committee members for:

Local Planning Arrangements

Program

Finance

Audio Visual

Student Activities

High School Youth Forum

Young Professional Conclave

Publicity

Producer Forum

Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Fundraising

Volunteers

If you want to be involved, please contact Andrea Mann at

Finally, a reminder that our 2023 PNW Summer Tour will be held in Cranbrook, British Columbia on June 21-22, 2023. Don’t miss out on the fun!  We’ll have a great tour for you, lots of music, and more than a few good laughs. This is what it’s about in the end, the connection and camaraderie we share!

• Tim Ross

March 15, 2023

P.S. This is what persistence looks like. I have played in our local Oldtimer’s Hockey League for 25 years. The last time I won this Championship was 20 years ago. I vowed I would not quit until I won another. Guess what? I ain’t quitin’ anytime soon!