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Show SOIL CONSERVATION DY CLYDE LOWE 1 .,...... Jess Cherrtngton, James Burrows and Millard Hatch, Supervisors of the Upper Sevier SCD, In company with Grant Williams of the Forest Service and yours truly, made a range utilization and Inspection tour of a portion of the rangelands on the Pangultch Lake Unit on Aug. 24th. The purpose of the trip was to . coordinate the thinking of the SCD personnel and representatives of the technical agricultural agencies. It was the opinion of the group that the tour was well worth the time expended. Each was pointing out to the rest of the small group points of Interest, noticeable examples of good range management practices, erosion control, methods, good range and forage plants and ways ot maintaining the range In maximum production. Of course, when there is good, there Is usually the opposite or bad, along with the good - and such was the case on our tour. All stages ot erosion were noted on many of the areas through which we passed. One has but to look to see about where our range resource stands. There are many fairly good spots, uiu- , ally hard to get to or quite a distance from water, but they give one a feeling of elation, that such conditions exist and are an Indicator of what we can have on our watersheds. The Soil Conservation District objective Is: the use of each acre of land, range or irrigated, according to Its capabilities and the treatment of each acre according to Its needs. In our tour this principle was continually brought out by the supervisors and by myself and CI rant that "this piece or area shouldn't be used; it's better as watershed; too steep for safe use If we consider the coming generation of course. If we play it plumo-selflsh then maybe we can take mtybe get by till we die, but ac--every bit of green forage and cording to recognized plant phis-cologlsts and botanUts, healthy plants can be grazed to about Su percent of their volume each year and remain healthy; sick plants can safely be grazed only 20-30 percent ot their volume and be expected to become healthy. Let's each analyse our own operations and see how we are stacking up and how long we ran expect to stay in business," Many of the areas we passed over were "pretty sick", rota anyone's stand point and others "pretty good." Some of the re-seeded areas looked very good at this stage of their establishment. These seedlngs plus good management will result, In a few years, In maximum forage production. We were very Interested In the Tejuvlnatlon of the native gras-es where they had been given a chance 'to recuperate and had been liberated, from the oppressive bondage of the sagebrush. If you want to see an area where the better plants are growing and compare It to an area where the better plants have gone out of the picture, check the Ranger Station pasture at Little Valleys, or better, contact one of your SCD Supervisors and arrange to Co along with them. It's good company you'll be In. |