Executive Secretary's Report: 



Montana State Soil Conservation Committee 



In my travels to districts about the state, I 

 observe that Montana ranges are in serious 

 condition due to overgrazing, grasshoppers, and 

 drought of previous years. This condition of 

 denuded range is very vulnerable to Soil Eros- 

 ion. Ranchers are taking a big chance with fast 

 melting snows, heavy rains .cloudbursts, and 

 even wind erosion. Water cannot be properly 

 conserved. Allowing these overgrazed conditions 

 to come about has a serious effect on the 

 community, the state, and the nation. Cost 

 return meetings being held by SCS with small 

 groups of ranchers tell a very revealing story, 

 and should have some effect to motivate ranchers 

 to practice good range management. There is a 

 strong need for close follow up by technicians 

 with cooperators, to counsel with them on their 

 range "management" decisions. People do funny 

 things. One cooper ator agreed with the WUC 

 that he should cut down his herd by 50 head for 

 good land use, and to make the most profit. 

 However, when the grass greened up in the 

 spring he bought 50 extra head and continued to 

 overgraze! 



Only about 10% of Montana Ranchers practice 

 good range management. Others realize but 

 don't practice the fact that grass must be grown 

 first to protect the soil and conserve the water; 

 and that by doing so they increase the produc- 

 tion potential to where there will be enough 

 available for grazing. Sometimes this takes 

 years, depending on conditions. Many ranchers 

 don't know what it takes to grow the most grass. 

 Economic conditions are also deterrent to con- 

 servation ranching, A rancher faced with 

 mortgage payments fools he has to take a chance 

 and graze that protective cover and turn it into 

 cash: or he has ,i short term lease and feels he 

 has to turn I ho pnileolive cover into cash; or 

 the market price isn'l just right and he can sell 

 for more by holding ;il the expense of over- 

 grazing. These hit unwise range management 

 decisions. 



The following Bltilomeht ol a Range Technician 

 shows the big potential Montana has in regards 

 to development of our livestock industry: 



"There are l J0, 000, 000 acres in Montana of 

 which about 50,000,000 is privately owned 

 rangeland. 



To save an average of an inch of rain each yum* 

 over all rangeland acres in Montana should pro- 

 vide an extra 200 lbs. of forage per acre. 



Each 200 lbs of forage should produce about 

 80 lbs of beef per acre, or at 25£ per pound 

 this equals approximately $2. 00 per acre for 

 each additional inch of moisture saved. $2.00 

 by 50 million acres - $100, 000, 000. 00 that 

 could be added to the states economy. 



If the 50, 000, 000 acres of privately owned 

 rangeland were improved one range condition 

 class it would carry approximately 625,000 

 more animal units (cow with calf) for an eight 

 month grazing season than it would carry in 

 the lower range condition class. At only one 

 pound of gain per day and 25<? per pound this 

 amounts to $37, 500, 000. 00 that could be added 

 to the States economy by increasing each acre 

 of rangeland one condition class. " Where else 

 can we add so much to the State's economy? 

 We have only to induce ranchers to do the job: 

 How? Here are some suggestions: 



1. Education 



a. SWCD education committee directing 

 more attention to range management. 



b. Possibility of extension conducting 

 range management classes for ranchers. 



c. Extension specialists give more empha- 

 sis to Soil and Water Conservation as 

 basic to production. 



d. County Agent Supervisors follow close- 

 ly range management activities of 

 County Agent. Assist in SWCD and 

 Co-operator planning. More follow up 

 by County Agents to ranchers on how 

 to grow grass and what to do with it. 



e. 4-H, FFA, all schools teach pride in 

 land for living, recreation. 



f. Get good speakers on the subject talking 

 it up to farm groups, eivic groups. 

 More in local newspapers, radio. TV. 

 movies. Stress moral values. 



2. Program & Research 



a. Cost return meetings with ranchers 

 (educational as well as research) 



b, More follow up by SCS technicians 

 especially with cooperators who take 

 Ihnlr ranch plans seriously, (concen- 

 trate on few rather than try to do too 

 lflwny with limited technical help 

 available.) 



