The Chelan Chapter of the National FFA Organization is proud to announce that Jake Straub , Chelan Chapter Treasurer, has been selected to represent the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Section of the Society For Range Management at the 2013 High School Youth Forum. 

He will present a research paper on “The Challenges Facing Land Managers after Major Fire Events” to a panel of judges and the other participants in the High School Youth Forum at the 66^th Annual Meetings of the Society for Range Management February 2-8, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The High School Youth Forum (HSYF) program began in 1966 at the Salt Lake City Annual Meeting as the Youth Range Forum. High school age delegates are selected for participation in the Forum by the Sections of the Society based on their interest, achievements and activities in range and natural resource management at the Section level. Beginning in the early 1970's, the program format began to encourage youth thought and enhancement of communication skills. A taste of what range professionals do was achieved by asking each Forum delegate to prepare a 6 to 8 minute formal presentation on a range related topic. The HSYF paper presentation session today is treated similar to other formal, educational annual meeting sessions, except that it is a competition. In the late 1980's, the top 2 to 3 winning papers began to be published in Rangelands. The Forum delegates most often continue to use their presentation in other youth competitions, as speakers at various summer camps and local organization meetings, and serve as ambassadors in their states or sections for range stewardship.

The PNW Section encompasses all of the states of Washington, Oregon, and the Province of British Columbia.  Jake was selected out of a pool of applicants after submitting the abstract for his paper.  He will now complete the research on the project and prepare a 6-8 minute power point to present in February.  Jake serves as the current Chelan FFA Treasurer.  He has also served as the District VII Reporter, and Chelan Chapter In-Club Officer.  He competes in a variety of Career Development Events including Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking,  Agriculture Issues Forum, Livestock Evaluation, Meats Evaluation, Forestry,  Natural Resources CDE, Tractor Driving, Apple Judging, and Potato Grading.  His Supervised Agriculture Experience project involves the raising of market hogs and meat goats, and placement in Agriculture Mechanics and Fruit Production.  He is the son,  of Marc and Juli Straub of Chelan.