Range 

 Conservation 



Federally owned range areas in the 

 Western States contribute to the 

 stability and economy of many rural 

 communities. The National Forests 

 and National Grasslands 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: 



• 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. 



• Provides for uniform 

 distribution of grazing animals 

 through rest-rotation and other 

 systems. 



• 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. 



• 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. 



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Range conservationists inspecting 

 grassland. 



Qualification Requirements 



To qualify as a range conservationist, 

 the candidate must complete a full 4- 

 year course of study in an accredited 

 college or university leading to a 

 bachelor's or higher degree with 

 major study in range management 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. 



Ranger and his range staffman analyzing 

 the range potential of a grazing allotment. 



