Friday, December 11, 2009

History proves ranchers, BLM have nurtured the Breaks

With that in mind, there has to be a reason that an area as large as this is still intact. The reason is that ranchers and the BLM have taken care of the land and used this area in a responsible manner, sustaining it for future generations. As far as cattle marring the landscape, I have never seen a cow carve its name or eartag number in the sandstone next to historic artifacts, leave trash behind, or make a straight trail up a steep incline so that rain and run-off water can cause an erosion problem. However, I have seen several names of people carved into the precious sandstone near historic pictographs and I've seen a trail to the Hole in the Wall that goes straight uphill and can be seen for a half-mile or so. The cattle have been getting a bad rap for years and it is time to lay the responsibility where it belongs: People are more destructive than any creature on this earth. In fact, stunted growth of cottonwood trees — a claim made in the lawsuit — can be attributed to people. It is the presence of multiple flow-regulating dams along the Missouri River, not cows, that limits new cottonwood growth...read more

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