re 
F-521725 
Range conservationists inspecting grasslands in the Southwest. 
Ranger and his range staffman reviewing the range management 
plan for a grazing allotment. 
F-521724 
PAMEE 
CONSERVATION 
Federally owned range areas in the Western States 
contribute to the stability and economy of many rural 
communities. The National Forests and National Grass- 
lands include 106 million acres of range environment 
that provide forage for big game and for 7 million 
cattle and sheep owned by 18,000 rancher-farmers. 
The range management program prescribed by the 
range conservationist is tailored to fit each National 
Forest range and associated situations. 
The range conservationist: 
e Analyzes the range resource on one or more of 
approximately 11,000 National Forest grazing 
allotments, which are the basic management 
units. He fits the number of livestock and game 
animals to the available forage supply. 
e Provides for uniform distribution of grazing 
animals through rest-rotation and other systems. 
e Determines the proper grazing time or seasons 
and how much grazing the forage plants and 
soil can withstand. 
¢ Measures and interprets the response of the 
forage plants to use by animals. 
¢ Determines how to convert forage to animal 
products more efficiently. 
e Determines the influence of grazing on timber, 
watershed, and recreational values of the land. 
¢ Controls, modifies, or replaces low value brush 
and weeds with grass, where local economic 
considerations justify such treatment. He also 
plans mechanical treatments or installations, 
fertilization, range seeding, water developments, 
fencing, and trail construction. 
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 
To qualify as a range conservationist, the candidate 
must complete a full 4-year course of study in an ac- 
credited college or university leading to a bachelor’s 
or higher degree with major study in range manage- 
ment or a closely related subject-matter field. The 
study must have included at least 30 semester hours 
in any combination of the plant, animal, and soil 
sciences, and natural resources management. At least 
12 of these 30 semester hours must have been in range 
management. 
