Ranchers lose ground to drought, regulations

Gila County is a natural resource base that generates a lot of wealth. That is, if residents are allowed to tap into that resource base, says the president of the Gila County Cattle Growers.

"If the grass, timber, water and minerals are used properly, they are practically inexhaustible," said Terry Wheeler, a range management specialist with more than 40 years of experience. "That's my profession so I know what I'm talking about. What we don't have here is private property. We're stymied by the Forest Service."

According to Wheeler, Gila County lost a $30 million industry when ranchers were forced to remove their cattle off allotments on Tonto National Forest. "That has an economic impact of approximately $200 million in full-service communities like Globe and Payson," he said, "because every dollar spent has a six or seven times spin-off."

In 2000, 27 ranchers were asked to take approximately 19,000 head of cattle off Forest Service land. The remaining 73 cattle ranchers in Gila County followed suit in 2002, selling another 20,000 head.

Prior to establishment of the Forest Service, there was overlapping of grazing areas on the land. After the Forest Service was created, the ranchers were asked to pay to survey the land to establish boundaries, then fence their allotments and provide water sources. That is how the permit system started. However, according to Wheeler, the permit system has no authorization in Congress.

"When the cattle were kept in smaller areas for longer periods of time, they began to overgraze, a process of time and not numbers. Because of this the Forest Service systematically began to reduce the number of cattle allowed on the allotments," he said.

"By law, the Forest Service has authority to cut numbers due to drought so they used drought to eliminate cattle in 2000 and 2002," he said. "Forest Service policy guidelines state that less than 100 pounds of feed per acre will not support grazing. However, the Forest Service denied grazing on allotments where forage production exceeded 1,500 pounds per acre.

"In the late 1960s, reports show Gila County ranchers ran about 60,000 head of cattle. The present situation was developing on the Tonto between 1994 and 1999. In 1996, we lost about 4,000 to 5,000 head in the Young area, then the big hits in 2000 and 2002. Now we're at a point where we don't have cattle and can't afford to restock," Wheeler said.

"I sold my cattle for 60 cents on the dollar. Those cattle were acclimated to the land. I would have to pay twice what they sold for to restock and it would take five years to get them acclimated and to calve regularly because of the diversity of feed, land slope, and topography of the land. It's the same for all Gila County ranchers," said Wheeler.

He said he sold his bred cows for about $500 a head and cow/calf pairs for $750. He estimates it would cost $900 per head or $950 for cow/calf pairs if he could restock. "But it's been dry every place and cattle acclimated to this area just aren't available," he said. (A March 18 market report from Marana Stockyards shows bred cows selling for $785-$800 per head.)

Wheeler said we're talking about people, a culture and industry that's been virtually destroyed by Forest Service personnel misusing environmental policy to over regulate the cattle industry on the Tonto Forest to serve hidden agendas. "The Forest Service has no care about sustainability of people or the culture," said Wheeler. "It's an agency that's completely out of control.