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The Undergraduate Range Management Examination (URME) will be given at the 2009 SRM meeting in Albuquerque on Monday morning, February 9.

Eligibility

Teams-Each university may enter one team. There is no limit to the number of individual students that each university enters on its team. The three highest scoring individuals from each university will be considered the team for that university. The contestants must be enrolled undergraduates in any regular university course of study at the time of the contest or must have been enrolled as undergraduates in the fall semester or quarter immediately preceding the contest.

Individuals-Any undergraduate student in any regular university course of study may compete for individual honors. Team members will be automatically entered in the individual competition.

1. Coaches are asked to sign up participants via email prior to the exam. At that time each participant is assigned a number that must be entered on the exam and answer sheet.
2. Participants must be registered for the annual meeting and wear their name tag to the contest. Anyone without a name tag will not be admitted to the exam.  Participants should be present at the door to the room where the exam is being held at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the contest.
3. The contest lasts for 120 minutes. Hand-held calculators are allowed; those that make sounds are not allowed. Each participant should bring plenty of pencils. Books, notebooks, and extra paper will not be allowed into the exam area.
4. The contest is divided into six categories: Range Ecology (60 points), Grazing Management (60 points), Range Improvement (60 points), Range Regions (30 points), Range Inventory and Analysis (60 points), and Multiple-Use Relationships (30 points). The exam consists of multiple choice questions in the six areas. In addition, problems are given in the grazing management, range improvements, and range inventory and analysis sections. Questions are selected from material submitted by university faculty members, government agency personnel, industry personnel and ranchers.
5. Coaches, participants, and anyone else are allowed into the contest area immediately (usually within 10 minutes) after the exam is finished. A copy of the exam with the key will be spread out over the tables. It is important that coaches and participants use this opportunity to view the exam.
6. Immediately following the open viewing of the exam, there will be a Coach's Critique of the URME. Here, the questions on the exam are discussed.  A simple majority vote of the coaches present is needed to remove any question or change an answer.  This is the only opportunity to challenge a question before grading occurs.
7. Examination copies are not allowed to be removed from the exam area or distributed to schools. Likewise, no copying of questions will be allowed during the review/open period. Old exams and newly submitted questions make up the test question bank and are kept confidential (similar to the plant mounts).
8. Reference material for the URME include range textbooks by Holechek, Pieper, and Herbel; Heady: Stoddart, Smith, and Box; Heitschmidt and Stuth; Vallentine; Workman.  Journal articles and other reference material may also be used.
9. Every effort is made to remove regional questions (except in the Range Regions section).
10. Copies of the exam are printed in English and Spanish.

Sample URME Questions

Sample Range Improvement Problems

Sample Range Inventory and Analysis Problems

Sample Grazing Management Problems

1. Team and individual awards will be given for the first five places. In the event of tie scores for team or individual places, duplicate awards will be given.
2. Plaques for permanent possession will be awarded to the first through fifth place teams.
3. The five highest scoring individuals will each be awarded a plaque for permanent possession.
4. Each contestant will receive a certificate.

Who to contact:

Justin Derner
Rangeland Scientist
USDA-ARS-High Plains Grasslands Research Station
8408 Hildreth Road
Cheyenne, WY 82009
Phone: 307-772-2433 ext.113
Fax: 307-637-6124
Email: Justin.Derner@ars.usda.gov

Activities At-A-Glance Graduate Student Paper and Poster Competitions High School Youth Forum Range Plant Identification Contest SRM Rangeland Cup Student Conclave Tapping The Top Undergraduate Public Speaking Contest Undergraduate Range Management Examination Undergraduate Student Paper Session University Student Chapter Display Contest		Rangeland Careers held in conjunction with the 2009 SRM Annual Meeting & Trade Show, February 8-13, 2009
		2009 SRM Rangeland Job Fair, Sunday, February 8, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm