UCCE advisor known for informing policy, making complex issues easy to understand
David Lile, University of California Cooperative Extension natural resources and livestock advisor, retired on July 1 after 30 years of serving Lassen County residents. For the past 25 years, he also served as UCCE director for the county and in 2010, Plumas and Sierra counties were added to his supervision.
“No individual outside of our family has done more for our ranch than David Lile,” said Jack Hanson of Willow Creek Ranch. “His knowledge and expertise and his passion for California agriculture were ever-present. He has the ability to make complex issues easy to understand and always helped us make the correct decision.”
After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in range and wildlands science from UC Davis, Lile joined UC Cooperative Extension in 1996. He studies issues at the intersection of livestock production and natural resources conservation, on a mix of federal rangelands and private hay and irrigated pastureland.
“He has included us in numerous university, CDFA and USDA trials, bringing in top researchers and academics, all of which made us more resilient and sustainable,” said Hanson, who oversees his family’s cattle and hay operation. “David never said, ‘No, I can't do that.’”
Applying science to policy
Much of Lile’s work has focused on water issues. In the first decade of his career, Lile’s research focused on water quality and fish habitat to reduce conflicts between livestock grazing and fisheries.
After passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014, also known as SGMA, Lile assisted in the Big Valley groundwater planning process, providing his technical expertise as well as facilitating communication between stakeholders, consultants and county supervisors and staff. Laura Snell, UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor for Modoc County, and Lile conducted water management research and led workshops promoting groundwater recharge.
“It was through our data analysis that we discovered flaws in the basin groundwater budget, and that overdraft rates were far less than calculated,” Lile said. “Corrective changes in the water budget have been accepted by the Department of Water Resources. The county’s plan was approved by the state in 2024, and through project implementation we appear to be approaching long-term groundwater sustainability.”
One of the challenges for Lassen County ranchers is complying with state regulations that are developed for ranches that are closer to urban population centers. To assess the impact of forage production and grazing on water quality, Lile, Snell, UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor Larry Forero and rancher/resource consultant Pam Giacomini surveyed growers in the upper Pit River watershed about their irrigation practices, grazing practices, fertility management, pesticide applications and associated best management practices in 2022.
“Based on the findings shared through three years of extension outreach, in August of 2025 the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board granted a full program exemption to Pit River growers, saving them $250,000 in fees annually, while also significantly reducing annual reporting requirements,” Lile said.
Lile also has helped ranchers save money through adoption of new technology. Recently he has been showing them how virtual fencing can be used to create boundaries for grazing livestock using GPS, cellular and radio connections.
“As we and our cooperators have learned about using the systems, the number of cows enrolled in the virtual fencing has increased annually from 140 cows in 2023, to 2,000 cows covering 80,000 acres in 2026,” Lile said. “Our work has identified opportunities to increase grazing harvest and carrying capacity through improved distribution and timing of grazing. Through virtual fencing, we have also identified stock water development needs, how to better meet cow nutritional needs, and opportunities to enhance environmental ecosystem services.”
Mentoring the next generation of UCCE advisors
When he’s not doing research, Lile is known for coaching students, creating innovative learning and growth opportunities for aspiring scientists and educators. He also has mentored early-career UC ANR colleagues, including Tom Getts, Laura Snell, Janyne Little, Grace Woodmansee and the late Ryan Tompkins.
Woodmansee who is a UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor and UCCE director for Siskiyou County, said Lile has had a profound impact on her life and career. She met him in 2015 when her undergrad range class traveled to Lassen County to learn about public lands grazing and help collect meadow monitoring data.
“Since that initial meeting, David has taken every extra step to encourage and support me through my first UCCE job, grad school and my current advisor role,” said Woodmansee.
“He is an incredible mentor with a knack for combining thoughtful advice with an excellent sense of humor – which is exactly what every new advisor needs to survive the first few years on the job!” she said. “David exemplifies the role of Cooperative Extension Advisor - he is not afraid to go after the hard questions with applied science and leads in a way that helps everyone feel like they have a seat at the table. I couldn’t be more grateful for the time we’ve shared as colleagues.”
Tom Getts, UCCE weed ecology and cropping systems advisor for Lassen, Modoc, Sierra and Plumas counties, who has worked with Liles for 11 years, said, “During my time with Cooperative Extension, David has been a great supervisor and an invaluable mentor. From my first day, he was always there to discuss whatever I needed. From tips and tricks about navigating the university systems, to helping me understand and impact local production through effective programing. His door was always open, and every time I walked through with a question, I came out armed with a thoughtful response for a path forward.”
Janyne Little, now a community education specialist working on the virtual fencing project with Lile, was hired as a graduate student in 2020 to help cut through red tape to streamline projects.
“One of David’s greatest strengths is his generosity with his time and knowledge,” Little said. “He has always been willing to listen, offer thoughtful guidance, and help others succeed, and I’m grateful to be one of the many people who have benefited from his mentorship.”
Lile also has cultivated and strengthened UC ANR’s presence in northeastern California by facilitating the Intermountain Workgroup, which includes all of the academics currently working in Modoc, Lassen, Sierra, Plumas and Siskiyou counties.
In addition to his work in the field, Lile has taken on several roles in UC ANR leadership. He has served on the Peer Review Committee, Academic Assembly Council, County Director Council, Vice President’s Council, and as a Strategic Initiative Leader, shaping policies and helping lead UC ANR through institutional changes and difficult financial and political times over the past three decades.
He also currently serves on the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Advisory Committee for Northern California and on the California Board of Forestry’s Professional Foresters Examination Committee.
Awards and acknowledgements
On June 23, the Board of Supervisors of Lassen County presented Lile with a proclamation commending him for 30 years of service to local residents.
Over his career, Lile has been honored by many organizations for his contributions. Modoc County Farm Bureau presented him with its Annual Distinguished Service Award in 2025. In 2024, he won UC ANR’s Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Leader. Also in 2024, Lile and his UCCE natural resources colleagues received the National Association of County Agricultural Agents’ National Finalist Award for the fact sheet “Rapid User Guide: Postfire Grazing on California's Intermountain Rangelands.” The Society for Range Management’s Cal-Pac Section named him Range Manager of the Year in 2023. In 2021, Lile received the national Society for Range Management award for Outstanding Achievement in Land Stewardship.
Lile has found satisfaction in seeing his work create positive change.
“The cumulative impact of my work has been to promote and empower science-based, locally derived, land management decision-making that has led to increased understanding and better outcomes,” Lile said. “The results have led to viable livestock production systems that are supported through applied conservation practices and effective land management.”
Rancher and former Lassen County supervisor Hanson said: “David's contribution to Lassen County was huge. As our county’s budget became difficult during the years I was a county supervisor, and its interest in resource issues – water, land use, public lands grazing, predators, right to farm – became scarce, David stepped in to fill this huge void.”
Hanson added, “Most importantly, I consider David a loyal, trustworthy good friend. I wish Linda and David all the best in his well-earned retirement.”
UCCE advisor Getts added, “David is irreplaceable, and will be deeply missed by all of the communities he is a part of, from professional colleagues to clientele who have depended upon him for decades!”
Even in retirement, Lile intends to continue contributing to the farming community and has applied for emeritus status from UC ANR.