A chance meeting with a rancher in the middle of the Nevada wilderness offers another side to the controversy surrounding the environmental effects of agriculture.
Illuminating article, Sue. It really highlights the way farmers and free range ranchers are treated in this country and how it's only getting worse due to political greed and short-term thinking. I fear the regional impact from mining companies will now only get worse since the Trump administration has given them the unregulated freedom to run rampant over both public and private lands.
Apparently, the rift between miners and ranchers affects simple things. Mining interests wanted islands with trees installed in the huge parking lot in downtown Elko, making it more commodious for their wives to shop during the hot summer months. Ranchers objected, saying it makes it impossible, then, to maneuver stock trailers for their shopping trips. During our last Pony Express adventure, I met two lawyers riding that section of trail. One served the miners and the other the ranchers. While these two men were able to work together for The Pony, there was just the slightest tension between them. I can only imagine ......
I was talking to an Idaho agricultural extension agent about a ranch WWP bought near Challis as a model ranching operation. The extension agent and a colleague were invited to visit it. He noted a number of washouts, the presence of noxious weeds, and a generally neglected landscape. So much for architects and lawyers showing ranchers how it really should be done.
Thank you so much for including this linked article in your comment, Switter. Its comprehensive reporting of what's going on because of self-centered, greedy individuals in the name of environmentalism is disgusting in the extreme and something that people need to know.
My favorite paragraph in this article illustrates the ranchers' relationship to the land and to wildlife. This whole article is a must-read.
"The truth of the matter is that ranchers are some of the only public land users that actually pay for use. In addition to the fees paid by ranchers to utilize their grazing rights, ranchers invest a great deal of time and money in installing and maintaining fences, gates, access roads, and water resources that greatly benefit wildlife. For example, ranchers often install troughs or tanks at naturally occurring springs so the water can be collected and efficiently utilized by both livestock and wildlife. Access roads not only benefit sportsmen but are also vital in fire suppression efforts. Another huge benefit of public land ranching is the reduction of fuel loads, which greatly lessens the intensity and duration of wildland fires."
Also, Marvel’s lawyer fees are reimbursed by the Justice Department’s Equal Access to Justice fund that was set up so low income folks can afford lawyers to represent them. The ranchers that Marvel targets are actually helping to foot his legal fees.
We had a wild fire recently in an area where two bands of sheep (4000 animals) grazed for the summer. According to the Forest Service, the grazing allowed the fire to be brought under control in time to save a residential development near our little town.
Also, I camped for a long weekend in the SNRA and was near a band of sheep. Every morning, the sheep herder filled a water truck at a nearby bridge and the sheep were watered from the truck. There were no animal tracks or damage to the streamside vegetation.
I compare that with the kayak community that camps along our river in undesignated camp sites. On summer Monday mornings, those sites blossom with white and brown paper daisies and empty Keystone Light cans.
"Lucas stated outright that he has lost his faith in the government, not only in their lack of regard for ranchers' rights and needs, but their inability to steward the land." And it is not just THAT specific lack of regard, but lack of regard for democracy itself... our destiny is now determined only by the abject greed of a handful of men. We all know it and stand by wringing our hands. I hope Lucas' voice is being heard. Great article, Sue.
I hope this article makes a dent somewhere, Sharron. This cafeteria food fight of a government we have now would be hilarious if it weren't so damned serious. At least some in the GOP and dare I say the MAGA base are waking up to what they've allowed to happen. It galls me that the GOP congress credits Musk for alerting them to Trump's madness. Why have the voices of their constituents not been heard and respected? My faith has suddenly swung toward Newsome, who is standing up to Trump and daring Homan to arrest him. At last, a line in the sand is drawn. Maybe the people in Congress who are pushing for impeachment will also be heard. The way things are going, Sharron, I'd lay odds that Trump's term won't last the first year.
It's easy to be somewhat optimistic when you hide inside your fenced garden all day, communing with the wildlife and only dip your toe in the news feed once a day just to keep up. If I was one of these folks who has the TV on all day, I would go bonkers. What's happening in L.A. is scary in the extreme, but let's not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. HA!
For a Manhattan reader with long ago Saskatchewan bloodlines, meaning no such understanding of herding in mountains or grasslands, I found this down to earth (truly) rewarding but sad. How can honest devotees of our land make a dent? Lawyers, greedy corporate landowners, and wisdom-deniers cannot care nearly as much as oldtimers with love and real connection to their daily work and how the land can be prosperous without blind interference in the true insight path. Thank you, Sue. So cool, the ham radio station and blanket patterns. C.
Thank you, Constance. And that position was my favorite. Lots of interesting people rode up and down both sides of that mountain pass. I'm glad we were there to offer a shelter and a cup of coffee while they waited. A couple of years ago, I snowed up on that pass. The rider and his horse almost died from exposure. I've lobbied the NV Section membership and they all thought I was being a "snowflake." Well, we're done dealing with them now. And maybe I'll write an article about the safety-averse horse pucky these arrogant cowboy wannabes have displayed in front of us. Truly head up arse.
Illuminating article, Sue. It really highlights the way farmers and free range ranchers are treated in this country and how it's only getting worse due to political greed and short-term thinking. I fear the regional impact from mining companies will now only get worse since the Trump administration has given them the unregulated freedom to run rampant over both public and private lands.
Apparently, the rift between miners and ranchers affects simple things. Mining interests wanted islands with trees installed in the huge parking lot in downtown Elko, making it more commodious for their wives to shop during the hot summer months. Ranchers objected, saying it makes it impossible, then, to maneuver stock trailers for their shopping trips. During our last Pony Express adventure, I met two lawyers riding that section of trail. One served the miners and the other the ranchers. While these two men were able to work together for The Pony, there was just the slightest tension between them. I can only imagine ......
Five words: Jon Marvel, Western Watersheds Project.
https://www.tsln.com/news/western-watersheds-project-welfare-environmentalists/
I was talking to an Idaho agricultural extension agent about a ranch WWP bought near Challis as a model ranching operation. The extension agent and a colleague were invited to visit it. He noted a number of washouts, the presence of noxious weeds, and a generally neglected landscape. So much for architects and lawyers showing ranchers how it really should be done.
Thank you so much for including this linked article in your comment, Switter. Its comprehensive reporting of what's going on because of self-centered, greedy individuals in the name of environmentalism is disgusting in the extreme and something that people need to know.
My favorite paragraph in this article illustrates the ranchers' relationship to the land and to wildlife. This whole article is a must-read.
"The truth of the matter is that ranchers are some of the only public land users that actually pay for use. In addition to the fees paid by ranchers to utilize their grazing rights, ranchers invest a great deal of time and money in installing and maintaining fences, gates, access roads, and water resources that greatly benefit wildlife. For example, ranchers often install troughs or tanks at naturally occurring springs so the water can be collected and efficiently utilized by both livestock and wildlife. Access roads not only benefit sportsmen but are also vital in fire suppression efforts. Another huge benefit of public land ranching is the reduction of fuel loads, which greatly lessens the intensity and duration of wildland fires."
Also, Marvel’s lawyer fees are reimbursed by the Justice Department’s Equal Access to Justice fund that was set up so low income folks can afford lawyers to represent them. The ranchers that Marvel targets are actually helping to foot his legal fees.
We had a wild fire recently in an area where two bands of sheep (4000 animals) grazed for the summer. According to the Forest Service, the grazing allowed the fire to be brought under control in time to save a residential development near our little town.
Also, I camped for a long weekend in the SNRA and was near a band of sheep. Every morning, the sheep herder filled a water truck at a nearby bridge and the sheep were watered from the truck. There were no animal tracks or damage to the streamside vegetation.
I compare that with the kayak community that camps along our river in undesignated camp sites. On summer Monday mornings, those sites blossom with white and brown paper daisies and empty Keystone Light cans.
"Lucas stated outright that he has lost his faith in the government, not only in their lack of regard for ranchers' rights and needs, but their inability to steward the land." And it is not just THAT specific lack of regard, but lack of regard for democracy itself... our destiny is now determined only by the abject greed of a handful of men. We all know it and stand by wringing our hands. I hope Lucas' voice is being heard. Great article, Sue.
I hope this article makes a dent somewhere, Sharron. This cafeteria food fight of a government we have now would be hilarious if it weren't so damned serious. At least some in the GOP and dare I say the MAGA base are waking up to what they've allowed to happen. It galls me that the GOP congress credits Musk for alerting them to Trump's madness. Why have the voices of their constituents not been heard and respected? My faith has suddenly swung toward Newsome, who is standing up to Trump and daring Homan to arrest him. At last, a line in the sand is drawn. Maybe the people in Congress who are pushing for impeachment will also be heard. The way things are going, Sharron, I'd lay odds that Trump's term won't last the first year.
I admire your optimism. kid. God bless us
It's easy to be somewhat optimistic when you hide inside your fenced garden all day, communing with the wildlife and only dip your toe in the news feed once a day just to keep up. If I was one of these folks who has the TV on all day, I would go bonkers. What's happening in L.A. is scary in the extreme, but let's not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. HA!
For a Manhattan reader with long ago Saskatchewan bloodlines, meaning no such understanding of herding in mountains or grasslands, I found this down to earth (truly) rewarding but sad. How can honest devotees of our land make a dent? Lawyers, greedy corporate landowners, and wisdom-deniers cannot care nearly as much as oldtimers with love and real connection to their daily work and how the land can be prosperous without blind interference in the true insight path. Thank you, Sue. So cool, the ham radio station and blanket patterns. C.
Thank you, Constance. And that position was my favorite. Lots of interesting people rode up and down both sides of that mountain pass. I'm glad we were there to offer a shelter and a cup of coffee while they waited. A couple of years ago, I snowed up on that pass. The rider and his horse almost died from exposure. I've lobbied the NV Section membership and they all thought I was being a "snowflake." Well, we're done dealing with them now. And maybe I'll write an article about the safety-averse horse pucky these arrogant cowboy wannabes have displayed in front of us. Truly head up arse.