Chuck Perry wins Rangeland award

MOSES LAKE — Veteran rangeland ecologist Chuck Perry of Moses Lake was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for Stewardship by the Society for Range Management at the 69th annual meeting in Corpus Christi, Texas, last month.

Perry, a longtime member of the SRM, served rangeland and natural resources as a rangeland ecologist with the Bureau of Land Management and later with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for more than three decades.

"It's a special reward and it's nice to be appreciated by the professional community," said Perry, who worked in the field 41 years.

During his years with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Perry was an expert on all things rangeland within his agency. In that role he served the rangelands of the State of Washington well.

"I always thought it was important to work with the private land owners to preserve as much the wildlife habitat as possible. I was always proud of my relationship with the private sector over the years," Perry said. "I think that relationship improved with time."

From the beginning, he believed rangeland professionals should be field-based people, and he lived that creed; mapping vegetation, estimating forage production, mapping land units, managing grazing permits, and planning and implementing applied research projects. Perry is a believer in Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) and rangeland monitoring.

"I always tried to maintain my relationships with people and keep that positive attitude in whatever I did," he explained. "I found that attitude really helped."

Following his retirement, he also served the Food Alliance as a ranch and land inspector to ensure that clients were ecologically sound and sustainable in terms of land, water, livestock production, wildlife values, and personnel management. He has also served as a Sustainable Rangeland consultant.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented by the Society for Range Management for outstanding achievement to members and other qualified individuals and groups working with rangelands. The SRM based its decision on the fact Perry is land-based; in tune with current technologies; a rational thinker and widely respected not only in Washington, but across the Pacific Northwest.