GRAZING IS AN EFFECTIVE LONG TERM SOLUTION FOR FIRE MANAGEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 15, 2000) – Livestock grazing is a valuable tool in helping effectively manage overgrown rangelands, some of which have fueled the catastrophic wildfires currently raging throughout the West, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said today. 

NCBA made the comments in a letter to top Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials.

"Dry and overgrown rangelands create the perfect fuel for fires to spread quickly," said NCBA President George Hall, a cattle producer from Mustang, Okla. 

"Proper livestock grazing is one of the most effective and least expensive methods of fuel management.  When coupled with controlled burns, grazing can reduce the occurrence and impact of catastrophic wildfires," Hall said.

Hall urged the agencies to re-evaluate current fire management policy to ensure it includes proper livestock grazing, to increase input from private citizens or stakeholders who rely on federal lands and to better coordinate with local firefighting sectors.

"Those working near or on federal lands, such as cattle producers, know the area, its geomorphology and history, and can prove to be a valuable asset for implementing a successful fuel load and fire management strategy," Hall said.

Hall pointed out that a new fire and fuel load management policy could save millions in tax dollars and lost property, in addition to providing healthier and more sustainable forests and rangelands.  He said the current fires are creating unprecedented environmental damage, including stream pollution, soil erosion, air pollution, loss of habitat and loss of wildlife.

"Adhering to a blanket policy of fire suppression has proven not to be a sound practice.  The combination of controlled fires, forest and range management, enhanced local input and more flexible environmental regulations is the only possible long term solution to fire control in the West," he said.

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Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the  trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.