Thursday, July 02, 2015

New fence in National Monument aims to reduce conflict

They say that good fences make good neighbors. That was the idea behind two new fences recently built in the Missouri Breaks Monument, more specifically at the Little Sandy campground at river mile 47. The new enclosures — one five acres, the other three acres — were built mainly to reduce conflict between river floaters and cattle on the Wild and Scenic Missouri River. Little Sandy is a popular campsite for floaters who get a late start launching their canoes at Coal Banks Landing. The previous fence, which stretched out into the river, wasn’t fully cow-proof in low water. Floaters were irked by cows, but grazing is enshrined in the Proclamation that created the Monument. This is where the Friends of the Missouri Breaks — the non-profit that supports the Monument —and the Bureau of Land Management came to the rescue. BLM provided logistics and materials, the Friends aided in project planning and hired young crews with the Montana Conservation Corps to do the work. “These exclosures are a good solution for Little Sandy,” says Friends Executive Director Beth Kampschror. “We love projects that mean there’s one less reason for river floaters in the Monument and ranchers who make a living here to be at odds.”  Source

If I was "irked" by something on federal lands, would the feds fence them out for me?  Take wolves for instance...

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