Raised on a farm in central Montana, Don Oman went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in forest management from the University of Montana. In 1987, after twenty-three years with the US Forest Service, he became district ranger on the Twin Falls Ranger District (Sawtooth National Forest, ID) where he witnessed severe environmental damage inflicted by livestock. During his ten years on the district, Mr. Oman came to national attention because of conflicts with ranchers over the management of their cattle under his jurisdiction. He, nonetheless, successfully resisted the ensuing political pressure from ranching interests to have him removed as district ranger.

For his efforts to protect our natural resources from poor grazing practices, Mr. Oman was awarded the Wilderness Society’s Olaus and Margaret Murie Award in 1991.

When Don Oman arrived on the Twin Falls Ranger District as district ranger in 1987 he found that cattle had severely damaged Trout Creek—habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout. In this video Mr. Oman describes the dramatic environmental improvement that occurred within a few years of constructing a livestock exclosure along a segment of the creek.

Recorded in August 2003. This video is an excerpt from Don Oman’s interview in Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching.