Managed Grazing on Public Lands Benefits All

Washington, D.C. (June 23, 2004) – P. Andrew “Andy” Groseta, a third-generation Arizona rancher, and Bob Skinner, a fifth-generation Oregon rancher, are testifying today before the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The two members of the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) flew to Washington this week to testify regarding top issues concerning livestock grazing on public lands.

About 214 of the 262 million acres managed by BLM are classified as “rangelands,” as are 76 million of the 191 million acres managed by the Forest Service. More than 23,000 permittees, their families, and their employees manage livestock to harvest the annually renewed grass resource grown on this land. Western ranching operations preserve open space and reliable waters for wildlife by serving as recharge areas for groundwater and by supporting the economic infrastructure for rural communities.

“My wife, Mary Beth, and I have raised three children, all presently enrolled at the University of Arizona, majoring in agriculture,” says Groseta.  “Our son would like to come back after college and carry on the family ranching business.  In these times, we are seeing less family-owned ranches in the West.  With increasing government regulations (ESA, CWA, NEPA, etc.) and estate tax issues, it is more difficult for family ranches to remain profitable and stay in business.”

“I am a fifth-generation rancher from Jordan Valley, Oregon,” says Skinner. “Our family, like most Oregonians, is rightfully proud of the many beautiful rivers that course through our state.   Unfortunately, as things so often happen, management of these rivers has brought harm to other segments in society, in this case the state’s rural ranching communities.  A better balance between ranching and river protection needs to be struck.”  

NCBA and PLC members support multiple-use and sustained-yield of the resources and services from public lands, which bring the greatest benefit to the largest number of Americans.  Members strive to create a stable regulatory environment in which to thrive. Ranching out West has been part of the landscape, economy, and culture for approximately three centuries. 

Tonto National Forest

Arizona, along with the rest of the Southwest, has been severely stricken by drought for the last several years.  Because of drought and other issues, Animal Unit Months on Forest Service land have been reduced on the Tonto National Forest by nearly 80 percent, and the area’s ranching community has suffered.

”Clearly, the cooperation of all affected parties will be required to enable the Forest Service to effectively fulfill its multiple-use mandate for managing public lands,” says Groseta. “Having the ranchers and the Forest Service work collaboratively is important agency recognition of the important contributions ranchers make to rural economies and to the benefits of helping keep large landscapes intact.” 

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), NCBA, PLC, and Arizona and Gila County Cattle Growers have recently teamed up to restock grazing cattle on Arizona’s Forest Service land.  The Tonto National Forest Restocking Agreement signed by Arizona-based representatives of the USFS, the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, and Gila County Cattle Growers will expedite the return of as many cattle as supportable by forage conditions on allotments.  An integral element of the restocking program is that monitoring data will be used to support decisions about cattle numbers on the ground, reducing the chance that personal whim can drive resource decisions. 

“We appreciate the support of NRCS and the Forest Service for restoring responsible grazing on the Tonto National Forest,” says Groseta. “Our support for monitoring extends to seeking additional appropriations.  In fiscal 2005, PLC and NCBA supported increased funding for the BLM’s monitoring budget through the range program.  We will continue to seek funding for monitoring where the agencies can directly account for the use of those additional dollars.” 

Vacant Allotments

One of the more important issues facing the public land grazing industry and federal land managers is what to do about the increasing number of vacant allotments appearing throughout the West on federal lands.  PLC and NCBA oppose proposals for federal policy that favor eliminating the infrastructure needed to support public lands grazing.  The BLM and the USFS have a number of vacant allotments on their rolls which are not retired to other uses and are not being actively used for grazing. 

“We are concerned that these grazing allotments be made available in the first instance to other ranchers to use either individually or to manage collectively to optimize the size of their ranching operations,” says Groseta.  “These reserved allotments should be considered part of a working ranch landscape.”

Wild and Scenic Rivers and Ranching

The Wild and Scenic River Act protects existing uses along designated river corridors, such as grazing.  PLC and NCBA believe that properly managed grazing can be compatible with maintaining healthy river corridors, however, the “enhance” standard in the Act poses a virtually impossible hurdle for grazing to meet. 

“In each instance in which environmentalists have brought suit challenging grazing management plans for corridors along rivers designated under the Act, grazing has been eliminated,” says Skinner. “Elimination of these ranch operations means the elimination of a way of life that has been in place for generations in many cases.  Without the ranches and their economic activity, the local communities obviously suffer as well, and ultimately the fabric of life in rural Oregon.”

PLC and NCBA are asking the Senate to bring a better balance between grazing and river protection to the Wild and Scenic River Act. 

Endangered Species Concerns

Another area of ongoing concern in the ranching industry is the Endangered Species Act, and in particular the potential listing of the sage grouse under the Act.   The Greater Sage Grouse resides in 13 states in the West, including a significant population in southeast Oregon.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is currently reviewing multiple petitions to list the sage grouse as threatened or endangered.

“Should the USFWS conclude at the end of the status review that listing the bird is warranted under the Act, virtually all land use in the 13 states with habitat will be impacted,” says Skinner.  “We recognize the obligation to conserve wildlife under the ESA. Our members are active participants in an unprecedented locally-led single-species conservation effort in all of the affected states.” 

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies recently completed a conservation assessment of the status of the sage grouse.  The assessment concluded that the population numbers have been stable for the last 15 years and that a number of areas in the West continue to have viable concentrations of populations.  PLC and NCBA firmly believe that the best hope for conservation in this country is to engage as many local elements of society as possible.

Wild Horses and Burros in the West

NCBA and PLC also are urging members of the Senate that the Wild Horse and Burro program within the Bureau of Land Management receive attention. 

“Horse populations are exploding and the agency lacks the resources and authority to deal with them,” says Skinner. “Wild horses are not native to the West.  They first appeared on the range after being abandoned or having escaped.  The numbers of these horses grew until today there are approximately 36,000 horses on the open range, and 14,000 in long-term care. The goal of the program is to manage horse numbers at the appropriate management level..  The BLM has rarely if ever met this goal in the 30 year life of the program.”   

Overpopulation of the horses is a problem for wildlife, vegetation, and livestock grazing.  The resource damage that occurs is devastating and takes many years to recover.  PLC and NCBA hope to see the horse populations better managed through more effective adoption programs.