Farmers and ranchers who want to protect the environment from potentially harmful agricultural practices are getting help from a growing number of UC farm advisors and Cooperative Extension specialists. This new environmental emphasis can be attributed to a growing awareness nationwide of environmental problems, increased funding for environmental research and the coming of age of an entire generation of environmentally educated agriculturists, they say. "I find the big challenge to be in developing environmentally sound pest management programs that growers can use economically," says Frank Zalom, director of the UC Davis-based UC Integrated Pest Management Program. Extension specialists and farm advisors are in an ideal position to help growers and ranchers develop such programs, says Mel George, director of the UC Davis-based Rangeland and Watershed Program. "Because the ranching community knows and trusts me, I can describe grazing impacts and get away with it, whereas if a local fish and game biologist tried to do it, he might get strung up."