Noelene Duckett, Editor, Range Management Newsletter.  Email:  aduckett7@msn.com

Welcome to a bumper issue of the Range Management Newsletter.  This edition includes a number of important articles for ARS members such as the Notice of the 2017 Annual General Meeting, a reminder about the upcoming Biennial Conference (please note that Abstract submissions close in just a few days – 17 MARCH) and also information about a potential bid for Australia to host the International Rangeland Congress in 2014.  There is also some background information about our latest Fellow of the Australian Rangeland Society, Dr Margaret Friedel.

I am pleased to include two research studies in this issue, both based in western New South Wales.  Judy Bean and her colleagues have been looking at low cost, minimum disturbance techniques to increase perennial grasses in the Cobar district while Emily Berry and Graciela Metternicht have been looking at current perspectives of land degradation and sustainable land management further west, in the Broken Hill-Wilcannia area.

I am also delighted to introduce some of the ARS Award winners from the International Rangeland Congress last year.  These awards were based on student poster presentations given at the Congress with each recipient being awarded a ARS Student Membership with access to the e-Journal.  Whilst these students certainly have a variety of backgrounds and research interests, they are clearly passionate about the rangelands!

Please consider contributing to the next issue of the RMN – I would love to hear from you!