Dr. David Dahlgren

Dave leads USU's Rangeland-Wildlife Habitat Lab. His objectives for his lab include sharing scientific information on how management can affect wildlife habitat and ecosystems, especially on working rangelands in North America. Dave's role is with Utah State University Extension where he is able to interact with many stakeholders across multiple communities; i.e., local, statewide, regional, and national. He has spent the majority of his Extension and research efforts on native grouse and other Gallinaceous species in North America, most of which inhabit rangelands. His lab strives to ensure the information provided, including research findings, helps support better conservation and management of these species, their habitat, and our social communities that depend on these landscapes.

After working for a state wildlife agency, Dave is deeply appreciative of the need for applied research where managers and policy makers can use results to make more informed decisions. He is particularly interested in the interaction of working lands, including livestock grazing (the predominant landuse of rangelands) and wildlife, and finding management approaches that are compatible. He work within Utah’s Community-Based Conservation Program and currently helps facilitate 2 local working groups in Utah. He particularly enjoys working with local communities including producers, private landowners, and state/federal agency personnel. The cooperation of local people working on the ground and the integration of their work with state and national conservation efforts are key to the future of grouse and other wildlife on both public and private rangelands in the West.

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Dave's graduate students provide the commitment and work ethic that make his lab go. They are key players to helping meet the objectives mentioned above.