significant difference for domestic livestock and for wildlife as well). 



4. Establishment of tame pastures, mostly for spring grazing, to pro- 

 vide for deferment of grazing on native range, resulting in an increase 

 in vigor and improvement in plant composition. (2^ million acres) 



5. Establishment of 500,000 acres of waterspreading systems, mostly to 

 provide a dependable hay base for winter forage supply. 



6. Greater understanding by ranchers of the needs of plsmts and their 

 response to grazing pressure. 



7. Establishment of grazing systems. 



8. Application of brush control measures, deferred grazing, proper 

 grazing use, etc. 



An increase from 25 to 54 percent of rangeland in good to excellent 

 condition is real progress, but there is still much opportunity to improve 

 Montana's range with a corresponding increase in benefits. As previously 

 discussed, only the operator can make good range management a reality. No 

 real progress will be made unless he has a desire for improvement and an 

 imderstanding of plants and animals and the response of each to management. 

 If he owns all his land, his limitations are mostly determined by his capital 

 resources and the level of his understanding and desire. 



Where ownership of the resources is intermingled, the operator may find 

 joint decisions are needed which are crucial to good management of range 

 resources. Cross fences may not be feasible imless they can be extended 

 across adjoining ownership, and construction needs to be jointly scheduled. 

 Water may need to be piped from or across it. All grazing resources need 

 to be considered in order to design the best grazing system. Many other 

 improvements are feasible only if shared with others. 



In assisting ranch operators develop conservation plans, we frequently 

 find it necessary to coordinate planning activities with the managers of 

 federal lands. BLM lands are those most frequently intermingled with land 

 in private ownership. SCS and BLM have carried out coordinated planning 

 activities in Montana for many years under an SCS-BLM memorandum of under- 

 standing, with a high degree of success. A three-way agreement has now been 

 completed which includes the Forest Service, the other major manager of fed- 

 eral lands in Montana. While Forest lands are not as commonly intermingled 



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