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Terms & Conditions of Use

 

WSE’s Rancher Network & Tool Suite

Last revised on March 13th, 2023

 

In the following Terms of Use (“Agreement”), “WSE,” “we,” “us,” and “our” all refer to Western Sustainability Exchange.

Service is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein (the “Agreement”).

“Service” is defined as any information, links, software, tools, or services found on WSE’s website (found at www.westernsustainabilityexchange.org) as well as any subdomains (including but not limited to rancher-network.westernsustainabilityexchange.org), and any mobile applications. Service also includes all content, defined as all text, information, data, documentation, software, executable code, images, audio, or video material. WSE retains all registered and common law rights in all trademark and trade names may include Rancher Network, Regen Ranch Guide©, Land Health Dashboard™, and other terms or names added in the future.

Your right to use the Services is subject to the following “Agreement” and your status as a paid and/or approved user. Your use of our site and any related products, tools, or services represent your agreement to be bound by this Agreement. Please read the following terms carefully.

USE OF THE SERVICE

User Accounts
To access Service, you will be asked to create a Rancher Network user account. During the registration for Service, you will be asked to provide information such as your name, ranch name, email, and other personal information about you and your ranch that is necessary to provide Service. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and assert by accepting these Terms of Use that you will not share your login credentials with any third-party. You agree to accept full responsibility for all actions taken under your account or password, whether by yourself or others. Your use of Service confirms that you are 18 or older and able to enter this Agreement with a full understanding of the terms and conditions of use.

License & Restrictions
Once your account has been approved, you will have the right to use the Service for its designed purpose only as long as you abide by all terms and conditions of this Agreement. You are granted a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use Service, including the use of our Apps and software for your personal, non-commercial use only. WSE reserves the right to remove or block access to the content you enter, upload, or otherwise provide in our sole discretion as well as to refuse, suspend, or cancel user accounts and access to the Service for any reason at any time, without notice. In the event that your account is suspended or terminated because of a breach of this Agreement or violation of any law, we are in no way responsible for issuing a refund.

User Responsibilities
You agree to operate within the bounds of common decency and conduct yourself professionally toward WSE and other users, otherwise, your use of Service will be canceled. You agree not to use the Service in any way not explicitly intended by WSE or these Terms of Use.

Electronic Communications
You consent to receive electronic communications, and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically, via email, and through the Service, satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

PRICING AND PAYMENTS

Billing
Rancher Network accounts are a free service. Should you elect to subscribe to additional features, such as our Land Health Dashboard™, you will be billed at an annual rate per the agreement for the additional feature you choose to use. Subscriptions to the Land Health Dashboard™ auto-renew each year according to the date of your first purchase and you hereby agree to such auto-renewal. The price for Service is subject to change at our sole discretion and as we add additional features per the agreement for each Service. We reserve the right to alter or raise our rates at any time and will post any changes to pricing clearly on our website and in your renewal letter. In subscribing to Service, you agree to these pricing and payment terms. If your payment fails, you will have 5 days to provide us with your updated payment info. If you fail to do so, we reserve the right to cancel, suspend, or otherwise revoke access to your account for any additional feature or Service.

Setup Fees
A separate, additional $200 onboarding fee is required for the Land Health Dashboard™ based on the needs of your operation during your personalized onboarding process. This rate is based on an estimated 4 hours of set-up time. Should your ranch require additional time and attention WSE will charge for this additional consulting time at a rate of $135 per hour. Additional consulting time may include time and resources spent on data entry, review, and organization; consultation, education, and coaching; and, in some cases, ranch visits–whatever is deemed necessary to get you set up to use the tool effectively.

Payment Processors
All credit card payments and bank transfers are made through a third-party payment processor. WSE takes no responsibility for such processes, parties, or their specific requirements or terms of use, and encourages users to do their own research as to terms of use and related privacy policies, terms, etc.

Cancellation
Users are welcome to cancel the Service or license to use an App or software at any time, though no refunds or prorated amounts may be given per the licensing agreement for the Service, App, or software. If you wish to cancel your subscription before its renewal, it is your responsibility to contact us at least thirty days before your renewal date so we can process your cancellation.

USER CONTENT & AGGREGATE DATA
Any, data, images, videos, text, and information you post, share, upload, or otherwise provide to WSE is considered your “User Content.” By providing any User Content to WSE or the Service, you grant a WSE a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, display, publish, and prepare derivative works of all or any portion of User Content, provided that the derived data does not uniquely identify, or could reasonably be used to uniquely identify, you.

WSE will be licensing and creating agreements between other organizations and the Service, Apps, or software. You understand that these arrangements may necessitate data sharing and that the terms (Agreement) described above will also apply to data sharing with program partners under these scenarios. WSE may utilize your data in aggregate, anonymized form to compare data, analyses, and measurements across ranches, and this aggregate data will not specifically identify you or your operation. Individual, identifiable ranch data will not be shared directly with any party without your explicit written permission provided to WSE. You agree to this use of your data and understand its purpose for reporting aggregate data to other partners, funders, and associates that are aligned with the mission of WSE.

Limitations of Liability
You are responsible for your data. We do not accept liability for data corruption, loss, or inaccuracy, including but not limited to: grazing data, ecological data, maps, map features, etc. The information, Apps, software, products, information, and services included in or available through the Service may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. WSE is not liable for any errors in textual, graphical, or other representations of data. WSE may make improvements and/or changes to the Service at any time but we will not edit or correct data without your specific permission and direction and will do so only as a Service provider and not a content controller.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & COPYRIGHT
All content included as part of the Service, such as text, graphics, logos, images, data, and any compilation thereof, is the property of WSE, or licensed for use by WSE, and protected by copyright and other laws that protect intellectual property and proprietary rights. You will not copy, modify, publish, transmit, reverse engineer, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit any of the content, in whole or in part, found on Service or WSE’s subdomains without the express written permission of WSE or the copyright owner.

Western Sustainability Exchange, www.westernsustainabilityexchange.org, The Regen Ranch Guide©, Land Health Dashboard™, the Rancher Network, and other WSE graphics, logos, and other service names are registered trademarks or trade dress of Western Sustainability Exchange and may not be used without the prior written consent of WSE.

User Input
You agree that any input, feedback, or comments provided by you are the property of WSE, and can be used for promotion, description, or any other purpose without compensation to you.

PRIVACY AND DATA SHARING
Your data is stored on a secure system accessed by username and password. We have used industry-standard privacy and security methods, processes, and procedures to keep your data private and secure. However, you acknowledge and agree that no website, software, App, or Service is fully secure and therefore YOU TRANSMIT DATA AT YOUR OWN RISK. Your use of Service is subject to WSE’s Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also governs the WSE website and informs users of our data collection practices. You also agree to the collection of your contact and other personally identifiable information (PII) in order for us to provide the Service as well as for future marketing and customer service. You also agree that we will continue to maintain this PII as long as necessary to provide you Service and adhere to legal and financial requirements.

DISCLAIMERS
The Service aims to provide ranchers and other landowners with the information they need to effectively use regenerative ranching practices. YOUR USE OF SERVICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. WSE DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY GUARANTEE, WARRANTY, PROMISE, OR CLAIM BASED ON THE USE OF SERVICE. WSE is also not liable for decisions you make resulting from your interpretation of this data. The analysis, summarization, and representation of data are for informational purposes. We further disclaim any liability for suggestions, opinions, recommendations, or other information provided by staff, users, or other affiliates.

WSE makes no warranties that these tools or services will be available at all times to all users. Service may be interrupted from time to time for site maintenance, technical issues, and events outside our control. WSE assumes no liability, financial or otherwise, for loss of access to Service, including any act, circumstance, or omission over which we could not reasonably have exercised control.

Additionally, we take all reasonable efforts to reduce exposure to worms, viruses, malware, or other bugs that may cause damage to a user. We utilize industry-standard methods to protect you from these types of attacks. You acknowledge and agree that WSE cannot guarantee full protection and therefore WSE is not responsible should any damage occur in connection with these attacks and their impact on the use of Service.

Hyperlinks & Third-Party Services
Service may contain links to other outside websites (“Linked Sites”). The Linked Sites are provided as a convenience to the user, and WSE does not endorse, nor assume any responsibility for, any links to third-party websites, software, apps, or content. Some portions of the Service may be delivered by third-party sites and organizations. By using any product, service, or functionality originating from Service, you hereby acknowledge and consent that WSE may share such information and data with any third party with whom WSE has a contractual relationship but only to the extent needed to provide the requested product, service, or functionality on behalf of Service users and customers.

INDEMNIFICATION
You understand and fully agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless WSE or its parties and affiliates for any losses, liabilities, damages, claims, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) relating to or arising out of your use of or inability to use the Service, any User Content provided by you, associated interpretations of any Service or information provided by the Service, your violation of any terms of this Agreement, or your violation of any rights of a third party, or your violation of any applicable laws, rules or regulations.

Arbitration
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Montana, without regard to any conflict of laws provisions.

In the event, the parties are not able to resolve any dispute between them arising out of or concerning this Agreement, or any provisions hereof, whether in contract, tort or otherwise at law or in equity for damages or any other relief, then you and WSE agree that such disputes shall be resolved only by final and binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act. The parties agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims regarding these Terms and Conditions or any disputes arising as a result of these Terms and Conditions, whether directly or indirectly, including Tort claims that are a result of these Terms and Conditions. This arbitration provision shall survive the termination of these Terms and Conditions. DAMAGES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE FEE PAID BY YOU TO WSE IN THE SIX MONTHS PRIOR, OR $100, WHICHEVER IS LESSER.

CHANGES TO TERMS
WSE reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change or amend the Agreement under which Service is offered from time to time. The most current version will be available at westernsustainabilityexchange.org/terms with a revised date. The most current version of the Agreement will supersede all previous versions. WSE shall notify you of all revisions to these Terms of Use and you are responsible for visiting our website and reviewing the most recent version. If substantive changes are made, we will inform you by posting an announcement on the user login page inside the Rancher Network, or by electronic communication if reasonably possible.

MISCELLANEOUS
Unless otherwise specified herein, this agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the user and WSE concerning the Service. It supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral, or written, between the user and WSE concerning the Service.

CONTACT US
WSE welcomes your questions or comments regarding this Agreement:

Western Sustainability Exchange
PO Box 1448
Livingston, Montana 59047-3423

Email Address: info@westernsustainabilityexchange.org
Telephone number: 406-222-0730
All questions and comments can be directed to regen@westernsustainabilityexchange.org

Holly Fretwell conservation econoimist in Montana

Holly Fretwell is president of Montana Connections, LLC where she does economic conservation consulting and hospitality management, is co-owner of the Jammin Jackalope camping and cabins, and is a research fellow at PERC, the Property and Environment Research Center. For nearly three decades Fretwell’s research has focused on public lands policy, private conservation, property rights, and markets. Her passion is helping others understand how free markets and trade can help enhance conservation and environmental quality.

Fretwell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in resource economics from Montana State University. An educator at heart, Fretwell taught economics at Montana State University for 15 years, provided tools and curriculum for high school teachers to motivate economic thinkers, and has authored two books.

Malou Anderson-Ramierz resides on her family ranch in Tom Miner Basin, Montana, where she and her husband Dre live and work while raising their two daughters, Esme and Hasell. Aside from working on the ranch and learning about holistic management systems, she has psychology, social work, and equine-assisted therapies background. Malou enjoys working in community-building and land-based practices. Helping people and communities reconnect to themselves through restoring landscapes, coexisting with wildlife, and creating strong and thriving communities for both human and the more-than-human. When she’s not on the ranch or tending to kiddos, animals, or listening to lands, she loves exploring newfound communities- both urban and rural, reading, riding her horse, and sitting next to the ocean.

Holly Stoltz, Communications Manager

Holly Stoltz’s greatest passion has always been helping people in the agricultural community. Throughout her career, she has revitalized a small-town newspaper, promoted businesses and organizations with her screen printing and embroidery business, actively mentored area business start-ups, and supported the 4-H program as club organization leader and activist.

Montana ranch-raised and marrying into a family ranch, agriculture has always been a part of her life.  Because of this, her degree in marketing, writing experience, and seeing the need to shift away from traditional ag practices, Holly has become a vocal supporter of regenerative agriculture as the only way to secure this legacy for future generations.

Colin McClure is a proud Bobcat Fan and a 3rd generation graduate from Montana State University in Soil and Water Science. As a 4th generation Montana descendant with ties to active farming and ranching operations in the Flathead as well as central Montana, Colin was raised in and around agriculture. Colin is strongly rooted in both traditional and regenerative agricultural practices focusing on improving the livelihood of all Montanans.

TBD

Roger Indreland, together with his wife Betsy, own and manages Indreland Angus, north of Big Timber, Montana. Roger is a third-generation rancher with a Farm & Ranch Management degree from Montana State University and forty-four years in the registered Angus business. Roger has found his niche in the grass-fed bull business, hosting an annual bull sale each December.

For over thirty years, Roger and Betsy have regenerated the landscape by placing value in building soil health and increasing biodiversity to complement Mother Nature’s system. As Roger says, “Our soil is the key to our success, so decisions are made with that in mind.”

In 2020, the Sweet Grass Chamber of Commerce honored them as “Ag Persons of the Year” and were nominated in 2021 as “Tow Rope Heroes” by the Northern Ag Network

Brittany Masters is the co-founder of Go Roam Free, a regenerative bison ranch and food business. As a first-generation rancher, Brittany brings her brand marketing and strong business sense to the world of sustainable animal agriculture. Brittany is passionate about developing brands and premium health products. Brittany spent 9 years as a Marketing Director at the Boeing Company, where she focused on reviving the Boeing brand and serving as a brand consultant to airline customers. During that time, she launched a startup food brand in the Middle East and finished her MBA at Seattle Pacific University. As WSE’s Secretary, Brittany hopes to help family-scale ranches transition to regenerative agriculture while improving their profitability in order to preserve the best of the west.

Dylan Hoffman is the Director of Sustainability for Yellowstone National Park Lodges. He oversees park-wide environmental efforts, compliance issues, and programs to curb the park’s contribution to climate change. In addition to his passion for helping to protect our environment, Dylan enjoys recreating in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem – including floating our local rivers, Nordic and backcountry skiing, hunting, or waving around a fly rod. Dylan lives in Gardiner, MT, with his partner, Erin, and their two little girls, Steely and Merrick.

Andrew Anderson, manager of J Bar L Ranch in Montana

Andrew Anderson is originally from Tom Miner Basin, where his family ranch is located. Currently, he manages J Bar L Ranches in the Centennial Valley and Melville, MT. His wife Hilary and four children have worked on the J Bar L for 13 years, helping to manage cow/calf, yearling, and grass-fed beef enterprises. They feel incredibly fortunate to ranch in wild and complex ecosystems and continually strive to learn how to preserve these unique places’ health, diversity, and integrity.

Carrie Balkcom is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the National multi-species entity organized to protect and promote Grassfed and pasture-based farmers and ranchers.

AGA is the leader in pasture-based production and the oldest grass-fed certification in the United States. AGA certifies ruminants and dairy.
Carrie grew up on a Florida cattle ranch and has stayed connected to the agriculture and livestock industry. She has spoken, presented, or coordinated numerous regional and national conferences; and is well known in agricultural, culinary, and sustainable agricultural circles.

Rebecca Kurnick of Montana Aleworks

Rebecca Kurnik loves all things soil. She discovered this through her work on farms in Maine and Montana and, as a result, got her B.S. in Soil and Water Science from MSU, followed by an M.S. Ed. Agricultural Education. Through her work in local food systems over the last 15 years, she has helped small farmers and ranchers grow to sell products through Montana-based distributors and led the sustainability initiatives at the busiest restaurant in Montana, including a post-consumer composting program and a 50kW solar array installation. She is honored to help fulfill WSE’s mission through her participation on the Board.

Joel Henry, Lawyer headshot

Dr. Joel Henry enjoys the complexity at the intersection of law, business, and technology, given he earned two computer science degrees from Montana State University, a Ph.D. in computer science from Virginia Tech, a J.D. at the University of Montana, and started his own software company.

Joel is one of a handful of people in the US with both a PhD in computer science and a JD. He is one of the leading experts in Montana, and nationwide, on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology law. A significant area of his practice also includes complex, cutting-edge legal matters around new technologies, including artificial intelligence, GDPR, and other data privacy laws, IT security, and data breaches. He also serves as an expert witness on litigation matters involving technology issues, electronic discovery, and digital forensics.

In his free time, Joel enjoys brewing beer, casting flies, tracking elk, floating rivers, backpacking, and hiking, but only when he isn’t spending time with his family.

Lill Erickson, the executive director of Western Sustainability Exchanage

Lill Erickson has deep conviction to protect the incomparable landscape, wildlife, and way of life of the rural West, especially Montana. In 1994 Lill founded Western Sustainability Exchange to do just that.  Leading up to it’s conception,  Lill was an organizer for conservation nonprofits throughout the west, caretaker of a cattle ranch bordering Yellowstone National Park, and an advisor to a national committee to craft a strategy to promote agricultural sustainability. 

These experiences gave her the prowess to implement regenerative agriculture practices and develop market-based conservation strategies to ensure a healthy, long standing, and profitable relationship between nature and innovative land stewards. 

Lill loves her community of Livingston, spending as much time as work allows adventuring with friends in nature, and caring for and cavorting with her two dogs and two cats.

Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

WSE livingston farmers market manager Shannan Mascari

Shannan Mascari joined the Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) team in 2019 as Office Administrator and Farmers Market Manager. Mascari attended Chico State University in Chico, California prior to moving to Montana in 1996. Upon moving here, she became a certified nursing assistant, caring for the elderly, before moving on to an administrative position with a wetlands restoration company. There, her hard work and dedication earned her the title of Vice President of Operations. She has over 18 years of administrative and managerial experience.

Mascari’s passion for taking care of the planet and the people who inhabit it is a perfect fit for WSE and the Farmers Market program. She and her husband, Jason, have three children and can often be found at soccer games, enjoying the great outdoors, or simply relaxing at their home on the Yellowstone River.

Chris Mehus program director-211108_laurendillonphotography_halverson_ranch_native_energy

Chris Mehus, born, raised, and educated in Montana, has always maintained a joint passion for agriculture and the outdoors. He has applied his degrees in Wildlife Biology and Range Science to assist and advocate for ranchers who have a strong conservation ethic. After 10 years of direct ranching in Southern Montana putting his education to practice in numerous areas of grazing management and planning, Chris spent many years working in rural business, economic, and financial planning giving him unique insight into the workings of a ranch business to understand economic drivers and incentives that make ranching with nature a more profitable operating model than typical conventional practices. He is an outspoken advocate for the Ranching For Profit, Integrity Soils, Holistic Management International, and related schools of thought and how they can be applied to create a thriving ranch business while creating healthy, functioning ecological systems with rich soil and diverse wildlife populations.

Alex Blake is a regenerative rancher from Big Timber and a producer coordinator
for WSE. He lives and works on the ranch and tree nursery his parents started in 1973 on a foundation of deep appreciation for the natural environment. Alex holds a Master’s in Agribusiness from Texas A&M University but has gotten most of his agrarian education from hands-on experience on farms and ranches in places as diverse as Kenya and Argentina. He enjoys being a part of the progressive rancher support network in south-central Montana and draws inspiration from those who are constantly challenging old ranching paradigms. He was an artillery Captain in the United States Marine Corps and is a proud husband and father to a two-year-old daughter.

Mark Ledger, former banker and WSE board member

Mark Ledger has been a member of the board since 2005, having served as Chair twice during that time.  Professionally, Mark’s career has involved  international finance,  business counseling and private equity.  Having spent all of his high school summers as a hand on a family cattle ranch in Big Timber, he has long standing ties in the area and retains a personal interest in agricultural and environmental sustainability.   Mark serves on the boards of multiple non-profits, including land trusts, inner-city homelessness, urban micro-finance and a foundation dedicated to underserved populations.  He and his wife, Ann, live in Pennsylvania and have two children and four grandsons.

Matt Skoglund of North Bridger Bison, WSE board

Matt Skoglund is the founder and owner of North Bridger Bison, a bison ranch rooted in Regenerative Agriculture principles located in Montana’s Shields Valley. Prior to starting North Bridger Bison, Matt was the Director of the Northern Rockies Office for the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he worked on various conservation issues in Montana and the Northern Rockies for a decade. Matt is a graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Illinois College of Law. He is passionate about food and ranching, and he loves to hunt, garden, cook, and forage for morel mushrooms in the spring. Matt and his wife, Sarah, have two young kids, Otto and Greta.

Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

Tyrrell Hibbard enjoyed an upbringing in agriculture and conservation and today serves as a producer coordinator and senior advisor for WSE. Tyrrell is a rancher by day and distiller by night. He manages a seasonal custom grazing operation on his family’s multi-generational ranchland on the Continental Divide west of Helena. He also owns and operates Gulch Distillers in downtown Helena, producing award-winning spirits from Montana grains and fruits. When not actively engaged in agriculture or adding value to agricultural products, Tyrrell pursues conservation goals through WSE and Prickly Pear Land Trust. He serves on the board of directors. Tyrrell earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University. He lives in Helena with his wife and two daughters.