William Ridgely Chapline was an expert on rangeland improvement, watershed management, ecology, and conservation. He joined the United States Forest Service in 1913, and was employed in various parts of the West in surveys and research related to range and watershed lands. In 1920, he was promoted to Chief, Office of Grazing Studies. He was responsible for the initiation and further development of range and watershed studies on the Salt River drainage in Arizona. He was also responsible for similar studies in the Colorado River drainage of the state of Colorado, and flood control and watershed studies in Utah and New Mexico. From 1935 through 1952, he was Chief, Division of Range Research. After retiring from the Forest Service, Mr. Chapline served as an international consultant on forest, range, and watershed management. He established a section of forest conservation for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and was chief of the section from 1952 through 1954. From the 1950s through the early 1980s, Chapline traveled widely as a consultant for international conservation organizations, other countries, and the United States Forest Service. He was accompanied by his wife, Eva Behn Chapline. The couple documented their extensive travels with photographs and slides.
From the description of W. R. Chapline papers, 1897-1986. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 28439188
From the guide to the W.R. Chapline papers, 1897-1986, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)
