INTRODUCTORY REMARKS TO 

 GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON MONTANA RANGELAND 



By William J. Fogarty 



Good morning and welcome; Governor Judge, Ladies and Gentlemen. 



For the coming day and half, we have before us a subject that is impor- 

 tant to the vast majority of Montanans and the Nation. It is very approp- 

 riate that we assemble to discuss the problems and opportunities associated 

 with a kind of land known as range. 



Recently in Denver - I recall a bumper sticker which read: "Speak to 

 your wife today - Football season begins tomorrow". 



This matter of communications is a very important first step when we 

 are dealing with such a vast and varied resource and in particular at this 

 time when there are so many conflicting views as to the use priorities and 

 management of rangelands. 



Rangeland composes about TO^o of the land area of Montana and on an a- 

 verage in excess of GOfo of the states that border Montana. The gross income 

 generated by rangeland is in excess of 4OO million dollars yearly for this 

 state. 



The complex ownership of these lands, be it federal, state, or private, 

 and the many uses of rangeland (be they livestock grazing, mining, recrea- 

 tion, wildlife, and/or watershed) all contribute to making the development 

 of a program for rangelands a complicated process. 



The pressures on rangelands to produce food and fiber in the form of 

 meat and feed grains are ever increasing. Many acres of rangeland are being 

 cultivated in order to increase the production of small grains. Some of 

 these lands are well suited to this use while others are either marginal or 

 sub-marginal . 



The rangelands yield a large amount of a precious commodity here in the 

 West known as water. The range condition of these lands will, to a great 

 extent, determine both the quality and quantity of the water that it yields. 



In the Northern Great Plains the vast majority of the stippable coal 

 reserves lie under rangeland. In some instances, the reclamation of these 

 lands will be aimed at restoring them to their original state and use. In 



