Recommendations
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Conservation, Paul Sears said, is an attitude as well as a
concept and a cause. The attitude is that of harmony between men
and the life forces of the earth, forces greater than men, but of
which man is a part and in which he does play both a destructive
and a constructive part. The concept is that man's part should be
constructive. The cause is nothing less than the survival of
prosperity on earth. The way through establishment of a
continuing relationship between man and his environment,
establishment of understanding and discipline by which there is
consumed each year less raw material taken from earth, sea, and
air than nature and man together create.
The development of this philosophy among planners, landowners,
policy makers and assistance organizations would result in
lasting desertification control. All of the previously named
constraints would eventually be overcome. Perhaps the following
would contribute to the acceptance and development of such a
philosophy.
- Establishment of national commissions composed of
qualified scientists, educators and producers to make a
comprehensive study of the kinds and extent of
rangelands; their importance in respect to animal
production, watershed, wildlife and recreation; their
present condition in respect to their potential (range
condition); vegetation trends in respect to
desertification and their managerial needs. A commission
would make recommendations and continually monitor the
rangeland utilization, management and development
situation. It could eventually lead to the formation of a
range improvement and development agency.
- Formation and execution of a promotion campaign to
improve the image of rangelands and to create an
awareness of their importance and a better understanding
of range management among national planners and policy
makers, international organizations, educators,
producers, businesses and industries related to animal
agribusiness.
- Inclusion of range management courses in the
universities' undergraduate animal husbandry curricula
and, where possible, the creation of range management
curricula. The universities, with the support of the
government, should also conduct range management short
courses for animal production technicians, veterinarians,
extensionists, rural development workers and others.
- Inclusion of range management, development and
improvement activities in national research, extension
and rural development programmes. (Teaching livestockmen
how to manage the resource is the most efficacious way to
increase animal production and avert environment
disaster.)
- Greater support by assistance organizations.