IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRTUAL FENCING TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD RESILIENCY OF AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS IMPACTED BY WILDFIRE AND SUBSEQUENT FLOODING

Our Overall Goal is to utilize rapid response funding to immediately engage with wildfire-impacted producers to alleviate their overwhelming fencing repair nightmare and impediments to manage livestock properly by utilizing a reliable virtual fencing technology. In addition, by introducing and teaching producers this 21st century approach to containing livestock and managing grazing distribution, we believe they may become early adopters of this technology which can ultimately help them better manage and recover their rangelands. The proposed project will accomplish the following objectives:1) Train producers on the use of virtual fencing to contain livestock, implement novel ways to manage livestock grazing distribution, and strategically facilitate the recovery of rangelands impacted by wildfire in New Mexico. Source and program virtual fencing collars for cattle (e.g., from Nofence Grazing Technology company).2) Determine best use practices for virtual fences in extensive livestock production systems and evaluate rangeland indicators in response to grazing management through virtual fence use.3) Establish framework for the use of virtual fencing during and after natural disasters like flooding and wildfire.