Role of a Range Manager/Rangeland Specialist

Range managers or rangeland specialists are trusted to protect and preserve public rangeland ecosystems, while at the same time maintaining the land for public recreational use and private economic activity. They maintain recreation areas and range improvements like reservoirs, fences, and corrals; manage range ecosystems; develop and carry out water facility, soil treatment, and erosion control plans; balance the environmental impact of private cattle grazing on sensitive range flora; conduct fire control and prevention measures; and control destructive pests. The most challenging task that range managers face is satisfying both their mission of maintaining a healthy range ecosystem and allowing maximum public and private use of the land. Private interests, mainly oil and mining companies, have a financial stake in the energy and mineral resources found on the vast tracts of public land, and range managers monitor their activities to curtail any environmentally harmful resource extraction practices. Thus, range mangers or range scientists, range ecologists, rangeland specialists, or range conservationists as they are often called, use their knowledge of the conservation sciences to guide private and public land use practices.

Related Professions

• Forest Ecologist
  
  
  
  
• Fire Warden
  
  
• Fire Ranger
  
  
• Forest Worker
  
  
• Wildlife Specialist
  
  
• Wood Technologist
  
  
• Soil Conservationist
  
  
• Park Naturalist
  
  
• Park Ranger
  

Educational Requirements

The minimal educational requirement for a career as range manager is a four year bachelor's degree in range management or range science. Eighteen colleges and universities offer degrees in range management. A typical college curriculum includes courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics, forestry, agronomy, wildlife management, and economics. Most programs offer specialized courses in soil, plant, and animal sciences, and stress computer training. Communication and writing classes are encouraged because of the high level of professional and public interaction among range managers. Field experience is a clear career advantage for entry level range managers, and summer employment and internship programs for college students are available primarily in the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Soil Conservation Service.

Professional Certification

There are no special certifications for this occupation.

Setting

The more than one billion acres of public rangeland in the United States are concentrated mainly in the western states and Alaska. This land is generally vast open space in or near mountainous regions; it supports mainly grass, shrub, and sporadic tree growth. Much of this land is found in semiarid zones where rainfall occurs in seasonal or semiannual cycles, and the landscape is dry and golden brown for several months and green and lush for a shorter time. Most public rangeland is found in sparsely populated areas in large states where large cities or towns are often hundreds of miles away. Those interested in a range management career can expect to spend a majority of their time outdoors and should be comfortable living in a rural setting. Range managers are often required to spend a considerable amount of time away from home participating in field projects that are physically demanding and often conducted in remote areas.

Employment Statistics And Major Employers

In 1992 about 10,000 range managers were working in the United States. Most of these professionals were employed by the federal government, primarily in the Department of Agriculture in the Forest Service, and Soil Conservation Service; and in the Department of the Interior in the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Other range managers were employed by state government agencies in natural resource departments, fish and game departments, state land agencies, and extension services. Some professionals worked overseas with U.S. and United Nations agricultural and land development agencies. Also, a small number of professionals with advanced degrees taught at colleges and universities.

Employment growth in government is expected to be slower than average and the overall number of range managers is expected to remain stable. This is due primarily to budget constraints in natural resource departments at all levels of government. The need for range managers may increase in the near future due to the recent concerns about cattle overgrazing and the development of more wildlife habitats, particularly wetlands.

In the private sector, range managers are employed by mineral and coal mining companies, oil corporations, banks, trust companies, and a growing number of corporate ranches. In the mining and oil exploration industries, range managers work to reclaim land damaged by mining operations. They concentrate on healthy grazing environments for livestock on large ranches. Employment opportunities in the private sector are growing due to the push to clean up the waste from dormant mining operations and the proliferation of large corporate ranches.

Salary Statistics

Range managers entering the field with a bachelor's degree and minimal work experience can expect to earn about $21,000 per year, and those who have earned a master's degree can expect an average starting salary of $25,000. The average salary for all range managers working for the federal government is $31,000 per year. Those with a Ph.D. can expect a starting salary of $30,000. Executive level managers can earn as much as $60,000 to $80,000. Salaries in state government are slightly lower, while those in the private sector tend to mirror federal salaries, except for executive positions in which private range managers typically have higher salaries.