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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #146547
Title: RANGE PROGRAMS AT RISK

Author
item Heitschmidt, Rodney
item KIRBY, DON - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV F

Submitted to: Western Farmer Stockman
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2003
Publication Date: 2/1/2003
Citation: HEITSCHMIDT, R.K., KIRBY, D. RANGE PROGRAMS AT RISK. WESTERN FARMER STOCKMAN. p. 20. 2003.

Interpretive Summary: The question is asked - why are traditional Department of Range Management disappearing? There are two fundamental reasons. The first reason is image in that; 1) University administrators perceive rangeland science to be a "soft" science; and 2) student's view rangeland management as largely an agricultural discipline, and as such, not an attractive major. The resulting effect is that enrollment in traditional Departments of Range Management has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. Because institutions of higher learning are now more than ever before run as businesses, low enrollments departments are generally "money losers" and are thus eliminated. So the second reason, economic viability, is a product of the first. However, this does not mean the demand for rangeland science education and technology has concomitantly declined with the disappearance of formal Departments of Range Management. Quite to the contrary, demand is increasing as Departments of Range Management transform and redefine themselves into more attractive entities such as Departments of Natural Resource Conservation, Watershed Sciences, etc. It is all a matter of packaging to meet customer expectations!

Technical Abstract: The question is asked - why are traditional Department of Range Management disappearing? There are two fundamental reasons. The first reason is image in that; 1) University administrators perceive rangeland science to be a "soft" science; and 2) student's view rangeland management as largely an agricultural discipline, and as such, not an attractive major. The resulting effect is that enrollment in traditional Departments of Range Management has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. Because institutions of higher learning are now more than ever before run as businesses, low enrollments departments are generally "money losers" and are thus eliminated. So the second reason, economic viability, is a product of the first. However, this does not mean the demand for rangeland science education and technology has concomitantly declined with the disappearance of formal Departments of Range Management. Quite to the contrary, demand is increasing as Departments of Range Management transform and redefine themselves into more attractive entities such as Departments of Natural Resource Conservation, Watershed Sciences, etc. It is all a matter of packaging to meet customer expectations!