Sunday, August 07, 2016

Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

I’m not your mother

by Julie Carter

Through the ages and at some point, every man learns the wisdom of not comparing his wife to his mother.  Usually.

In the world of ranching, that lesson is no different nor is it learned with any less difficulty or any greater speed. The learning curve is often fractured by the reverse of the situation --when the cowboy has married a ranch-raised gal that grew up working right alongside the men of the family.

Not one ever known for being open to new ideas, especially if they weren’t his own, a rancher’s times of high stress, worry and life-or-death concern magnify that situation exponentially.

The record-setting drought along with the record-setting fire danger has put the aforementioned emotions in raw form.

Somewhere along the way, many a Mr. Husband Rancher will get the idea he is the only one worried, like it’s his job alone. He might exhibit signs of being a little resentful about that but he also wears it like a coat of arms.

His wife, whose life’s existence depends on the same source as his, knows the signs as well as he. She rarely, if ever, gives up the hard-learned lessons of her rural roots.
Life changing decisions will need to be made, and soon.

The discussions that follow vary only in the terms of partnerships that have been established over the years. However, this crossroads of planning is not the first time he and she have met at the kitchen table, the corral gate or the saddle house to discuss methods of doing business or techniques appropriate to the moment.

And, the “discussion” (sometimes involving some serious hollering mingled with a cuss word or two … or nine) is not always over something so serious as cutting herd numbers, buying high-dollar supplemental feed or maybe just getting out of the ranching business.

Not latching a gate as deemed “the way” by Mr. Rancher is a good example of a situation. It is every bit as inflammatory as deciding if a certain old sweetheart of a cow should be given the grace to die of old age at the ranch or take a ride to the sale barn.

The wife’s get-even for either situation will be to hereinafter latch it the “wrong” way every time just to aggravate him. After all, latched is latched. 

His thought is always that his idea is born of brilliance and/or experience and that her only knowledge is “because her daddy did it that way.” If “Daddy” comes up in the conversation, the process goes south from there.

Should a fellow rancher make a suggestion about an identical topic, Mr. Husband Rancher will consider it with some dedicated thought. But if it’s the wife idea, it’s always a fight.

“And,” he said, “her hands end up on her hips as she tells me, ‘Well let me tell you Mr. Rancher, something that you apparently haven’t yet considered...’ And that’s where the fight begins.”

Of course, it is also not a good time for him to mention his mother’s cooking.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarternm@gmail.com

Summer Gardens

Time for Squash
Summer Gardens
Salt Shakers and Gurgling Water
By Stephen L. Wilmeth


            The image of my paternal grandmother in her melon patch on the Mangus remains vivid.
            Grandma Sabre always wore a dress, and, there she stood, covered from the sun with long sleeves and a floppy hat that was big enough to make her lean backwards to look out from under it when she talked to you. She had been hoeing and her experience was equally adept at the weeds of her immediate attention or at killing snakes.
            She was an expert at both.
            The melon patch was down by the corral. I suspect her water supply had to have come from the big trough under the 12 foot Aermotor that provided water both outside and inside the pens. I just don’t remember, but I suspect that is why it was there as opposed to her kitchen garden which was up at the house. Maybe it was just a matter of space or maybe it was because the domestic well didn’t produce enough water. Water was a precious commodity on ranches then just as it is now. Ranch gardens were frowned upon by some perhaps, but my grandmother’s was important. It provided food for her table in season and it filled her cellar through the winter until next year’s production started. I suspect it also maintained a link to her childhood. She may have been a rancher’s wife, but my grandmother was really a farmer. She was good at making things grow.
            She believed that getting your hands dirty from work was good for you. Her garden became symbolic as an oasis from harshness outside. It was a retreat, a place to enjoy, and a place to rest your soul.
            Summer Squash
            It was finally summer when the first picked squash was served at suppertime.
            My maternal grandmother, Nana, was the master of summer squash. Her recipe is the same that we still use. She always added chile. The first taste of squash freshly picked out of the garden was like greeting an old friend. We looked forward to it.
            Meals at both grandparents always had meat and that was usually beef, but that was normally a minor portion of the meal. Vegetables in quantity were served and they became a focus of summer meals. On the heals of the first squash, came roasting ears. We didn’t use the term corn-on-the-cob until we were around city people. It was roasting ears in our vernacular. Mostly it was field corn and not sweet corn, but my preference remains field corn when it is picked right. We learned to pick it as well as our elders. We wanted it heavy in the milk but long before it dented.
            The first were boiled and then buttered and salted. The butter, of course, came from the butter we churned. For that matter, it came from the cows milked within short walks from the kitchens where meals were prepared and eaten.
            Subsequent meals with fresh corn became varied with corn added to vegetable mixes. Nana could cut kernels off a cob like a machine. Later in the summer she would make it much like she did the squash. Of course, chile was added.
            Then there’d be the times you’d walk into the house and a tote of green beans would have been picked somewhere. “Here snap some of these,” would be the order.
            I’ll admit I never liked the smell of green beans at that stage, but I loved them cooked. The butter and the seasoning always made them even better.
            Tomatoes were part of the in season fare as was fresh green chile. The tomatoes were more often stewed or added to something rather than eaten fresh. I have often thought about that and now wonder why that was the case. We ate as much fresh green chile as we did canned. Nana also made chile rellenos from the fresh green. That was usually a breakfast offering along with her eggs and breakfast meats. Biscuits were always made then as well. Jars of tomato preserves were also canned and we ate many hot buttered biscuits with tomato preserves.
            She believed you needed to eat a variety of fresh things. I don’t remember asparagus or broccoli, but we had Brussels sprouts, black eyed peas, lima beans, kidney beans, and cauliflower ad nauseum. I still like them all if there is enough butter, cheese, and … chile!
            Evening Strolls
            Every kid ought to be exposed to a stroll through a well tended garden just at sundown.
            The McCauley gardens, the Ma Rice gardens, the recent Goad gardens, and a few others herein and occasionally elsewhere were wonders of honest endeavors. It was there or similar ones that I am convinced I wanted to like vegetables simply as a result of the experience. Radishes and green onions were and are a place to start. Take a kid in, carry a salt shaker, and just commence. Sprinkle salt onto their off hand palms and let them explore the wonders. Pick a radish and dip in the salt and exclaim how wonderful it is!
            “Oh, my goodness, that is good,” my grandmother would proclaim. “Here, you try one.”
            “Yes, it is so good!” would invariably be the response.
            “Try a white one now,” she would interject. “Be sure not to get one that is too big because it will be hotter and not as good.”
            And, the journey would continue.
            “Let’s try a fresh onion!” she would coax. “They are really good and good for you.”
            When there was nothing quite ripe in the stroll, other lessons would ensue.
            “Let’s see if there are any ripe tomatoes,” someone would suggest.
            “These are green beans. See how they climb these strings.”
            “These are frijoles. We won’t pick them until later and we will store them for winter.”
            “Oh, look at these cucumbers. We love them fresh, but we also enjoy them through the winter. We’ll make pickles out of them. Some will be sweet and some will be dill. You like them I know for sure,” she had said.
            The grandest treat and highlight of the stroll, though, would be found in the melon patch. It was there an elder would reach in and check to see if anything appeared to be ripe. If there was one that passed the inspection it would be cut with a pocket knife by running the blade clear around it and then breaking it if it remained uncut in the center. A perfectly ripe one would draw cheers and everybody would sit down right there in the garden and eat it until it was gone.
            “Don’t you eat those seeds, now,” someone would say. “That’ll give you ‘pendicitus’”.
            In the backdrop of the chatter you could invariably hear water gurgling in a furrow. Birds would be singing, and some cow would be calling for her calf. The sun would be almost gone, and the cool of the evening would be starting to envelop us. In Grant County we would often feel and smell the dew fall. Our elders would be discussing various things, but us kids were always part of their discourse and enraptured with the event. We grew to love those occasions in that setting with those elders in those summer gardens.
Not so long ago … it seems.

            Stephen L. Wilmeth is a rancher from southern New Mexico. “Yes, there was a hoe leaning against the fence within reach.”

DuBois column


The tale of two ruses: Mexican wolves and national monuments

Wolf lies, Catron County vindicated

The Catron County Commission filed a complaint against the USFWS in 2013, which lay dormant until Steve Pearce regained the congressional seat.  Pearce forwarded the complaint to the Dept. of Interior’s Office of Inspector General, which filed a report on July 11 of this year.

According to the OIG report, Catron County “made numerous allegations against MGWRP, particularly involving a former coordinator of the Interagency Field Team (IFT) charged with implementing the program. The county alleged that the former IFT coordinator and MGWRP had failed to properly document nuisance complaints about wolves, had not communicated effectively with county residents to address public safety concerns involving the wolves, had mismanaged livestock depredation investigations and compensation, and had destroyed a wolf DNA sample.”

And their findings? OIG report says, “Our investigation substantiated many of the allegations against the former IFT coordinator.” 

In a section of the report titled Failing To Document Nuisance Complaints, the report found this to be true.  The former IFT coordinator admitted that even those this data was used to make program decisions it “occasionally” went unrecorded, and she blamed that on the staff being “busy”, or the information just “slipped through the cracks”, or because of “workload demands” and “human error”.

And in a section of the report tiled Falsely Attributing Nuisance Complaints to Wolves of Lesser Genetic Value, the former IFT coordinator denied “consciously” manipulating data in favor of genetically valuable wolves.  So what did she do “unconsciously”?  According to the report, “… later in the interview she acknowledged that she did treat them ‘differently’from other wolves.  She said that she gave genetically valuable wolves more care, allowed their nuisance behavior to continue, and provided them more opportunities to breed.”

In an editorial the Albuquerque Journal said “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was mishandling a program to return the Mexican grey wolf to the area and then lying about it.”  Congressman Pearce agrees, stating “The upper level management of the Fish and Wildlife Service is tolerating a culture of lies, deception and outright manipulation of data. I think a whole overhaul is needed.”

There is nothing on their website, but the media is reporting the USFWS is acknowledging problems with senior leadership in the past but says those have been “effectively addressed.”

I say it has been mismanaged.  The USFWS employee ran the program from January of 2011 until August of 2013, or for more than two and a half years.  Now either leadership in the USFWS was unaware of these transgressions, which is mismanagement, or they were aware and failed to address it in a timely fashion, which is mismanagement.  And the action they took, just transferring an employee who falsified government documents, is mismanagement.  The Albuquerque Journal says, “Clearly lying and manipulating scientific data aren’t firing offenses at the agency.”

So much for this administration basing all decisions on science.  In fact, this is the second administration in a row which has manipulated data under the auspices of the Endangered Species Act, which just shows what a political football it has become.

Congressman Pearce has successfully amended the Interior Appropriations bill to deny any funding to the Mexican Wolf Program.  That would create at least one year of rest and reflection on the program, but the media is quoting Senator Heinrich as saying he will be working with Senator Udall (who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee) to ensure the amendment is removed from the final bill.

Will these wolves huff and puff and blow the USFWS/ESA house down?  Not as long as Three Blind Mice are running it.

The monument ruse

An entire week’s news cycle has been take up with Interior Secretary Jewell and her trip to Utah, what she did while there and speculation about what this all means. 

A group of enviros, five native american tribes and others have requested the President designate a 1.9 million-acre swath of land in the corner of Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument.  The proposal also calls for some co-management areas to be run by the tribes. During the same week of Jewell’s visit, Congressman Rob Bishop and the rest of the Utah delegation completed three years of work and introduced the Public Lands Initiative to protect 1.4 million acres in the same area by designating them as National Conservation Areas or Special Management Areas.

During her tour of the area, Secretary Jewell said she was “shocked at the lack of protection for many of these assets", but the Governor, the entire Utah delegation and many local entities oppose the monument, and instead support the Public Lands Initiative.

After reviewing all this and the public hearings held by Secretary Jewell, I have the following takeaways:

° One mayor is quoted as saying a new President could "rescind" the monument designation.  That is incorrect.   A 1938 AG's Opinion says that while the Antiquities Act grants the President the authority to "proclaim" a national monument, nothing within the Act grants the authority to revoke or eliminate a monument.

° How ironic is it that the Salt Lake Tribune feels the Public Lands Initiative fails because it was so influenced by locally elected officials.


° Utah's Governor says there is still time for a legislative fix.  He's right, but Senate Democrats and Obama would have to get on board, and that is highly unlikely.
° There are many tools the administration could use to administratively protect these areas.  The current BLM Director is quoted as saying no matter the outcome of the visit, more resources should be devoted to the effort.  However, these tools require time - public input and NEPA documents - which the Obama adm. doesn't have.  And besides, they aren't as flashy as a Proclamation and won't add to Obama's "legacy".

° During her confirmation hearings and at previous "visits" of this type Sally Jewell has always said there must be a "consensus" in favor of a monument.  I don't believe she even whispered consensus on this trip, and I wonder why?
° The public relations groundwork has been done to establish resources are being damaged, and all points still lead me to believe a Proclamation is forthcoming.  It may not be as large as the proponents wish and probably won't contain the same co-management language supported by the Native American proponents, but one is on the way.

° Enviros are using the race card successfully.  The typical visitor to a Wilderness area, for instance, is an upper-income white male with an advanced degree. But in the case of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument one of their more effective lobbying tools was the involvement of Hispanic groups and leaders, and for the Bears Ears surely the voices of the Native Americans are the most appealing.  It's amazing how the enviros have turned one of their greatest weaknesses - the lack of minorities in the movement and their low visitation rates - into one of their greatest assets in placing more restrictions on federal land.
One final observation would be this National Monument thing is a ruse. The Antiquities Act became law in 1906.  Since then the following laws have been enacted:  Historic Sites Act of 1935, National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, Archeological and Historic Preservation Act (AHPA) of 1974, Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979, and the Native American Graves Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990.  Review those statutes and you will see the Secretary of Interior has an abundance of authority to survey, identify, study and preserve any site or object of archeological significance. A National Monument designation is not necessary to protect these areas, as all the agencies have to do is implement existing law. 

That’s why I say the whole National Monument movement is nothing but a ruse to take more federal land out of multiple use management.

Till next time, be a nuisance to the devil and don’t forget to check that cinch.

Frank DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, is the author of a blog: The Westerner (www.thewesterner.blogspot.com) and is the founder of The DuBois Rodeo Scholarship and The DuBois Western Heritage Foundation

This column originally appeared in the August editions of the New Mexico Stockman and the Livestock Market Digest

Baxter Black: Meatless Monday Magic Show

Meatless Monday… what kind of person would think something like that up?

The same kind of people who would support Breathless Tuesday, Whistleless Wednesday or Jalapeñoless Cinco de Mayo? It is the same cloudy-headed, “we know what is best for you” starry-eyed finger-shakers that have brought us rubber chickens and the Ice Age of the 70s. Surveys and trials that support this whole "Wizard of Oz" Magic Show are based on this contention: “…going meatless once a week MAY reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, (MAYBE) cardiovascular disease, (MAYBE) diabetes and (MAYBE) obesity… and (MAYBE) help reduce our carbon footprint and (MAYBE) save precious resources (MAYBE) like fossil fuels and (MAYBE) fresh water.”

Backed by such phrases as, “…convincing evidence…” “…limited but suggestive evidence,” “…research suggests…” “…this may be in part…” are used to qualify claims that have not been proven. 

It’s called “Pop Science.”

The Meatless Monday Mafia have chosen meat as the victim, for many reasons. The biggest is that the vast percent of our population has no clue where their food comes from, has no farmer friend to explain the difference between fat and lean and therefore they are gullible to the Meatless Monday Magic Show. Another big factor that drives the Meatless Mafia; people like to eat meat! Humans are omnivorous! And the Mafia hates that! In every community there are people that are against anything that is popular, accessible and good for you. How about oil? How about your pet dog? How about GMO crops? Pasteurized milk? Measles vaccine? How about nuclear power?

Mind you, the Mafia are not against everybody being restricted or abused; our National Health Care system, for instance. The politicians that made it mandatory for everyone except themselves! They are part of the Magic Show too.

I am a scientist myself, as well as a rancher. I respect good science, especially trials and surveys that have statistical significance. As a veterinarian, when the diagnosis is not clear and not confirmed, I am cautious about prescribing treatment. Rule No. 1 “First Do No Harm.” The knowledgeable men and women working in this area of nutrition and health are entitled to speculate on the value of “Meatless Mondays.” They have some basis to back their opinion either way. But when an issue is overtaken by the politicians, charlatans, ad men and their mafia who deliberately manipulate the facts and blame food producers, that’s when I’m allowed to question their motives. 


Sandoval church bells abound in mystery

One of the bells that rings before Mass each day from its perch in the tower beside Bernalillo’s Our Lady of Sorrows Church is named “Maria.” A Bernalillo firefighter on Wednesday morning stood atop an extended ladder, his flashlight illuminating the words cast near the top of the lower, larger bell in the high brick tower. He shouted the spelling down to researcher Bob Gajkowski, who under the Placitas History Project, is conducting a survey of the bells in various Sandoval County churches. Gajkowski had already examined photos of the two bells at Our Lady of Sorrows, which were taken in January from the top of a much shorter ladder. But using the fire department’s ladder truck, Fire Chief Mike Carroll and firefighter Bryan Picchione were able to get a much closer look on Wednesday, providing Gajkowski better quality photos and more accurate measurements. What Gajkowski already knew is that castings on the bells and yokes indicate that they were made in St. Louis, Mo., by the David Caughlan foundry. Gajkowski was able to track down Susan Caughlan, a descendant of the foundry’s owner, who confirmed that the bells were made at the foundry or by one of its partners. Gajkowski said the foundry produced bells until it was destroyed by a fire in 1866. The new discovery Wednesday was the “Maria” inscription. “The bell is named ‘Maria,'” Gajkowski said. “We didn’t know that. We don’t know what that means.” He said the bell maker may have named the bell, or it could have been named at the request of the customer, which may or may not have been the Santuario de San Lorenzo, the church next door, which is where the bells hung until Our Lady of Sorrows was built in 1970...more

Saturday, August 06, 2016

Ranch Radio Song Of The Day #1677

This isn't Swingin' Monday, but here's a swingin' gospel tune by Ed BruceDevil Ain't Got A Prayer.  The tune is on his 2007 CD Sing About Jesus

https://youtu.be/vrx_D8OIJjc

Friday, August 05, 2016

How Uncle Sam Underwrites Coal-Powered Automobiles

by Vanessa Brown Calder

Tesla Motors recently announced that its latest model, the Tesla 3, will be released at the end of 2017. Almost 400,000 pre-orders have already been placed for the fan favorite that boasts a celebrity clientele including Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and George Clooney. For $35,000 you, too, can be the proud owner of the environmental solution of the future: a coal-powered automobile, subsidized by Uncle Sam. The Tesla 3 stands out in a class of cars that overpromise and under-deliver. The promise? Just by buckling up, you are part of the solution to saving the world from toxic carbon emissions, the compounds that draw the ire of any environmentally conscious citizen. On a daily basis, you, too, can be Captain Planet, a bona fide American hero. Where does it originate? Sixty-eight percent of the electricity generated in the United States is generated from fossil fuels, and half of that amount, or one-third of the total electricity generated, comes from coal. In some states, such as Kentucky and Wyoming, around 90 percent of electricity is produced from coal. And coal-fired power plants are the number-one source of carbon emissions. In effect, Tesla and other electric-vehicle makers have done something clever and appealing: They have replaced carbon emissions you can see with carbon emissions you can’t see, at least not coming out of the tailpipe. In fact, if your electric vehicle is charged with electricity from a coal-fired power plant, it is estimated to emit 15 ounces of carbon per mile, a full 3 ounces per mile more than a similar gasoline-powered vehicle. But that’s just the beginning. Under the hood you’ll also find the wonderful, innovative lithium batteries that Teslas rely on to hold their charge. In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency described these batteries as having the “highest potential for environmental impacts,” with lithium mining resulting in greenhouse-gas emissions, environmental pollution, and human-health impacts.

Governor Walker Tours King Cove & Calls For Airport Road

On Wednesday, Governor Bill Walker toured King Cove, to witness the urgency of a needed link between the remote Aluet community and the close-by Cold Bay airport. Governor Walker was accompanied by First Lady Donna Walker, and Alaska Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Andy Mack. Our Governor stated in a press release, “I have met multiple times with U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, and on this issue, I know we don’t agree…I won’t give up, though, on pushing for what the residents of King Cove need – a road to access emergency medical care.” Governor Bill Walker added, “An Alaskan suffering a heart attack should not have to additionally brave the elements just to get to a doctor…After having met community members who have had close calls and having seen for myself the great lengths they have to travel just to be medevaced out, I see the urgent need for a solution.” link

Wyden, Brown do the ‘Sidestep’ on monument


by Alan Kenaga

We understand the plight of some Oregon politicians when it comes to the national monument proposed for 2.5 million acres in Malheur County.

We understand that Sen. Ron Wyden and Gov. Kate Brown identify most with Portland and Eugene.
We understand that in the political game there is no need to give a straight answer to any question that offers them no benefit.

But still....

There was a time when even politicians stood for something. That’s how they were elected. They would say what they thought about a variety of issues important to the electorate, which in turn would decide whether to hire them as their representatives.

Oregon politics, however, appears to have mutated into a muddle of ambiguity. This is a world where there are no direct answers, and a “yes” or “no” question is answered with a monologue that dodges the question.

...Wyden was asked whether he supported the proposal.

Wyden said it’s his duty to respect how Oregon residents vote on issues. Malheur County residents voted 9-1 against the monument in a special election in March. He also said that while Malheur County residents have voted on the issue, the rest of Oregon has not.

...Similarly, Brown, who like Wyden is in the midst of an election campaign, has been equally mealy-mouthed.

It appears to us that Oregon’s “leaders” have decided it’s too risky to lead.

Outdoor companies back proposed Utah national monument

A coalition of outdoor sports companies in Salt Lake City voiced support Thursday for a proposed national monument in southeastern Utah that has become a flashpoint in the debate over public lands in the West. Company leaders from a group that included The North Face, Patagonia, Rossignol and Black Diamond said at a Thursday news conference that preserving open spaces is paramount to keeping their industry vibrant and allowing Utah-based companies to recruit top talent. The event marked the latest salvo in an intense back-and-forth between monument supporters and opponents over the last several months in Utah...more

Siskiyou supervisors send letter of support for Utah land initiative

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to send a letter of support for a Utah bill attempting to address concerns about federal land ownership in that state – a topic often arising in the Western United States. House Resolution 5780, the Utah Public Lands Initiative Act, is a sweeping, approximately 250 page bill that touches on numerous topics, from grazing certainty to wilderness conservation across a large swathe of federally owned land in Utah. Introduced by Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT-1), HR 5780 is reportedly the result of months of collaboration between numerous stakeholder groups and interested parties, and has been touted as a measure to bring more local control to land use decisions. In its letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, the board of supervisors states, “The Initiative is a proactive approach to managing 18 million acres within seven counties of public land throughout Utah, and outlines management priorities and provisions for Wilderness Areas, National Conservation Areas, and Watershed Management Areas, among others...more

Campaigns courting rural voters

Attendance at the Democratic Convention’s Rural Council meeting last week might have been small, but powerful in perspective. “You are the most important people at this gathering this week,” Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D- N.D., told a crowd of about 60 people sitting in the Philadelphia Convention Center to listen to rural advocates. “Hillary Clinton cannot lose Rural America by 90 to 10 (percent) and become the next president of the U.S.” Heitkamp was one of a number of speakers, including Montana Senator Jon Tester, former North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy, former USDA Deputy Sec. Kathleen Merrigan, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and others who made the case over the two-hour session that Hillary Clinton was the best bet for Rural America. And they repeatedly made the case that Democrats need to do a better job getting that message out. “We’re the party that works for everybody and makes the economy and government work for every American, not just the powerful and privileged special interests like Donald Trump,” he added, before handing out a brochure called, “What does it mean to be a Democrat?” While the blue brochure doesn’t include the world “rural” it focuses on strengths from “honest, hard-working people from all walks of life. Hattaway said that the DNC surveyed over 3,000 voters and nine out of ten said that was an important message that they wanted to hear. And they compared it against the GOP messages that were developed after Republicans lost their last presidential race and conducted their “autopsy.” He said they tested the messages against GOP messages and “beat them by 12 points.”...more

State to kill wolves from Ferry Co. pack after attack on cows

State wildlife managers are planning to kill some wolves in a northeastern Washington pack after its members killed at least four cattle this year. Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Jim Unsworth authorized killing a portion of the Profanity Peak pack in Ferry County after investigators on Wednesday confirmed a calf had been killed by a wolf. There are at least 11 wolves in the pack. The department says preventative measures — such removing carcasses or increasing human presence — have not stopped livestock from being attacked, and such attacks will continue if the animals aren’t removed. The agency says it is following guidelines developed with an advisory group on when to remove wolves, including that there be at least four livestock attacks in a year. It’s the third time the department will remove wolves since the predators began recolonizing Washington about a decade ago, The Capital Press reported. There are now 19 wolf packs, all of them east of the Cascades...more

Judge's big ruling on sage grouse looms in Nevada

A federal judge in Nevada could rule any time now on a lawsuit filed nearly a year ago in an effort to block protections of the greater sage grouse across much of the West. Nevada's attorney general and others filed their final briefs in Reno Wednesday challenging land-use planning amendments and a temporary freeze on new mining claims the government adopted to guide future management of lands with grouse habitat. The two sides disagree about whether Judge Miranda Du has the authority at this time to strike the policies down. Opponents claim she does. They say the directives are having a chilling effect on mining and energy exploration, as well as the ability of ranchers and entire county governments to plan for the future. Government lawyers argue they can't be challenged because they offer guidelines but no site-specific decisions.  AP

Bison numbers spur changes in population control measures

Wildlife managers are considering changes to the hunting and slaughter of bison that leave Yellowstone National Park after past efforts failed to achieve population reduction goals set by a 2000 agreement. Roughly 600 bison were killed during the past winter, including through shipments of the animals to slaughter and hunting by American Indians and state-licensed hunters. Despite the hundreds of animals killed, officials told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that the park’s bison population saw no significant decrease. Montana officials and many ranchers have pushed to curb the park’s bison population, which migrate by the thousands into the state when Yellowstone has severe winters. They can compete with livestock for grazing space and many bison carry brucellosis, a disease that can cause cattle to abort. A 2000 agreement between Montana and federal agencies requires bison kept out of areas with cattle, resulting in thousands of bison captured and slaughtered and drawing condemnation from wildlife advocates...more

Atlantic drilling off table but survey permits pending

While drilling for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic is off the table for now, permits are still pending that could allow seismic surveys to map just how much might be out there. The Obama administration announced earlier this month that the Atlantic will not be included in the next round of offshore energy leases from 2017 through 2022. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the decision was based in part on local opposition. Dozens of coastal communities passed resolutions opposing offshore drilling worried that oil spills could hurt fisheries and tourism. Two years ago, however, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management opened areas in the Atlantic to energy surveys and eight companies currently have pending applications to use seismic air guns to map the ocean floor. Environmental groups worry the loud sounds from the air guns will harm marine life such as whales and turtles. The advocacy group Oceana released maps Tuesday showing areas where permits are being sought and where they overlap crucial marine habitat. Almost 40 fishermen and others who make their living on the waters off Delaware, Maryland and Virginia also sent a letter to the governors of the three states. “Allowing seismic blasting could disrupt the spawning, feeding and migration patterns that support our fisheries and replenish fish populations from year to year,” the letter warned...more

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout as 'Endangered'

The Center for Biological Diversity today sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its denial of Endangered Species Act protection to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a cold-water fish of the headwaters of the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian rivers in Colorado and New Mexico. In response to a 1998 Center petition and two lawsuits, the agency determined in 2008 that the rare trout warranted protection due to habitat loss, introduction of nonnative trout, climate change and other factors. But in 2014 the Service reversed course and denied protection to the species. “The Rio Grande cutthroat trout survives only in a few isolated headwaters,” said Michael Robinson of the Center. “Without help from the Endangered Species Act, this fish will disappear forever.” Characterized by deep crimson slashes on its throat, the fish once swam throughout the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian river basins from Colorado to southern New Mexico. It is now limited to a small number of tiny headwater streams in only 11 percent of its historic range. Today’s lawsuit not only seeks endangered status for the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, but also challenges a new Fish and Wildlife Service policy of disregarding historic range and instead assessing species’ viability only within their current range, regardless of how diminished that might be from historic levels...more

Ranch Radio Song Of The Day #1676

Here's a tune that was banned from some radio stations win first released in 1956:  Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs - I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open.  The tune was recorded in Nashville on January 23, 1955.

https://youtu.be/EMdPjpP81Fw

Thursday, August 04, 2016

Amodei, Hardy want BLM approval for off-road race through national monument

With less than three weeks to go before the green flag is set to drop, Nevada Reps. Mark Amodei and Cresent Hardy are calling on the Obama Administration to approve an off-road race through the state’s newest national monument. In a letter sent Wednesday to Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell, the Republican lawmakers said there is no regulatory or scientific reason to deny a permit for the 20th annual Best in the Desert “Vegas to Reno” race, which is slated to cross a portion of Basin and Range National Monument in Lincoln and Nye counties. The Bureau of Land Management is still conducting an environmental review of the 643-mile race slated to begin Aug. 19 near the Lincoln County town of Alamo and end Aug. 20 in Dayton, just east of Carson City. This year’s proposed route has drawn opposition from conservationists because it includes 37 miles of existing dirt road through the southern half of the 704,000 acre national monument designated by President Obama last year. In their letter, Amodei and Hardy argue that the race could mean up to $40 million in revenue for the rural communities along the route. To deny the race a special recreation permit despite a favorable environmental assessment “would mean the BLM has abandoned its mandate in favor of appeasing special interests,” the letter states...more

Secretary of the Interior Jewell visits Grand Canyon

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited the park July 26 and addressed sexual harrassment on the river and possible designation of a Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument among other topics. Jewell introduced Grand Canyon National Park's (GCNP) new superintendent, Christine Lehnertz, and spoke about the National Park Service's (NPS) plans to change a culture of sexual harassment and hostile work environment that was recently addressed at Grand Canyon and led to the retirement of former Grand Canyon Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. Additionally, Jewell spoke about the possible designation of a 1.7 million acre Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument. Jewell said her experiences and work in Bluff, Utah, where she spent four days meeting with three different county councils, tribal communities and business owners to hear concerns and support for a possible designation of the Bears Ears National Monument, indicates her commitment to listen to different points of view before any action to designate or not either the Bears Ears or Grand Canyon Watershed as national monuments. "We have listened in this administration to different points of view," Jewell said. "We have also allowed the legislative process to work itself through but there are times when we've needed to move and we've been very judicious in doing that." Jewell said the Antiquities Act, which allows President Barack Obama to designate national monument before he leaves office, is an important tool used by presidents but said legislation is also an important tool "In the case of the greater Grand Canyon area there is both a legislative proposal for additional protections (and) there are people that are asking for monuments - we have not held any public meetings," she said...more

New Program Pays Central Valley Farmers to Grow Wildlife Habitat

California’s drought is taking its toll on wildlife. Years of sub-par precipitation have cut the amount of water available for wildlife refuges that supply critical habitat and food for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Reduced river flows are pushing endangered fish species to the brink. Riparian forests have also been impacted by the drought, as well as by groundwater over-pumping. As well as the drought, increased development, population growth, pollution and other pressures have almost eliminated most of the vital riparian and wetland habitat that a number of endangered species need to survive. To combat this, the Environmental Defense Fund, along with a partner organization, has launched the Central Valley Habitat Exchange, a voluntary program that gives landowners – farmers and ranchers – incentives to create wildlife habitats on their land. To understand how a market-based system for habitat protection works and who benefits, Water Deeply spoke to Ann Hayden, the senior director of the California Habitat Exchange and Western Water program at the Environmental Defense Fund. Ann Hayden: The Habitat Exchange program we are developing throughout the country is aimed at creating incentives for farmers and ranchers to create habitat benefits on their land while maintaining agricultural productivity. In a sense, they would be getting paid to grow habitat in the same way they grow crops – it’s an additional commodity they would get paid for. We started looking at the Central Valley out of the recognition that over 90 percent of habitat for wetlands and floodplains and riparian habitat-types have been decimated. Since so much of our state is in farmland, it seems like a natural fit that farmers and ranchers should be brought into the fold to help meet conservation goals, and not just rely on land acquisition or looking to conservation banks. Those are valid tools that exist, but we think bringing farmers and ranchers to the table will bring in so much more habitat, while allowing agricultural productivity to be maintained...more

Bison Industry Drives to Recruit Ranchers as Demand Climbs

The U.S. bison industry is trying to draw more ranchers to where the buffalo roam. After collapsing in 2002, demand for bison burgers and steaks from retailers such as Whole Foods Market Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. is rising, sending processors and marketers on a recruiting drive to round up more producers to raise the hulking creatures. One major hurdle to recruiting ranchers: convincing them to handle animals that can grow to the size of a Mini Cooper, and sometimes get ornery. “That’s like sticking bobcats in gunnysacks,” said Lee Graese, a former bodybuilder who raises bison with his wife, Mary, a dietitian, near Rice Lake, Wis. “If you can run into it at 35 miles per hour with your pickup and it’s still standing, you’ve got a pen that’ll hold a bison.” Bison-meat sales topped $340 million last year, according to data from the National Bison Association. This is a tiny fraction of the more than $100 billion in sales of cattle, hogs and poultry produced in the U.S. in 2015. But bison producers say their meat boasts an edge in the marketplace as consumers seek out more naturally raised protein, and sales have grown by 22% over the past five years. Fans say it tastes like beef, but leaner and slightly sweeter. Dave Carter, executive director of the Westminster, Colo.-based Bison Association, says the industry needs commercial-scale ranches like the beef industry has, capable of raising thousands more bison to further build the market. Cattlemen, he said, are natural candidates, beleaguered by a 20% decline in cattle-carcass prices since early 2015...more

National Water Trail designation proclamation ceremony

The city of Piqua is pleased to invite community members and officials from throughout the region to join in recognizing the recent designation of the Great Miami Watershed Water Trail as a National Water Trail System. The water trail includes the Great Miami, Stillwater and Mad rivers and is the only national water trail in Ohio. The National Water Trails System is a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails that has been established to protect and restore America’s rivers and waterways and increase access to outdoor recreation. “Our world-class network of national trails provides easily accessible places to enjoy exercise and connect with nature in both urban and rural areas while also boosting tourism and supporting economic opportunities in local communities across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell...more

Video - More flooding spotted on Dog Head Fire burn scar

A massive wall of water, ash and debris came rolling off the Dog Head Fire burn scar in the Manzano Mountains Wednesday after heavy monsoon rains hit the area. As seen in footage Chopper 4, water sliced through the mountains like a locomotive, clearing a path as ranchers and even cattle try to dodge the deluge. The bird's eye view was bad, but Ramon Gutierrez said the aftermath was worse, a thick putty of ash and water leaving behind just as much as it sweeps away...more

Here is the KOB video report:

Voices: A Texan way of life under assault

by Rick Jervis

AUSTIN – One of my first experiences in Texas came while on assignment seven years ago writing about the withering drought strangling the state at the time.

I visited places like Johnson City, Stonewall and Vanderpool and spoke with cattle ranchers who were selling off chunks of their herds because their land was too parched to feed them. The drought was bad, but ranching had been tough for years, many of them told me, and a lot of their sons and daughters were refusing to inherit the rough life of a rancher.

Texas cattle ranching, it seemed, was steadily fading.

So, I was intrigued by the new movie Hell or High Water, starting Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, which tells the story of two brothers who rob several branches of the Texas bank that’s trying to foreclose on their family ranch. The film, scheduled to open nationwide on August 19, is based in West Texas and captures the sweeping vistas, grit and inflection of the place. It also highlights another threat facing ranches: predatory banks.

I met with the film’s screenwriter, Taylor Sheridan, at his Austin hotel suite recently while he was in town for a screening. Sheridan was a relatively unknown actor when he decided to switch to screenwriting a few years back. His first script, Sicario, won critical acclaim for its dark depiction and layered telling of violence on the Texas-Mexico border.

A native Texan, Sheridan grew up on a ranch outside Waco. His family ended up losing the ranch, which got him out of Texas and into acting. He got the idea for Hell or High Water while visiting friends in West Texas. Driving through towns like Archer City and Windthorst, Sheridan said he was stunned at the number of empty homes and deserted ranches he saw.
It struck him that the land once ruled by Comanche and snatched by white settlers was, once again, changing hands.

“It’s being resettled with wealth, and it’s being resettled with displacing individuals,” Sheridan told me...


Ranchweb’s newest addition – Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch embraces the spirit and freedoms of the Wild West

A ranch of nearly 600,000 acres in Raton, New Mexico, which is under the auspices of Ted Turner Expeditions, recently became the newest member of ranchweb.com, the world’s leading website for sourcing domestic and international ranch vacations. Vermejo Park Ranch, spanning close to 914 square miles in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, is the largest Ted Turner Expeditions (TTX) vacation property and one of the premier eco-tourism destinations in the American West. Vermejo welcomes families and groups of all ages, offering unparalleled opportunities to explore nature and to witness herds of elk, deer, pronghorn antelope and bison, along with black bears, mountain lions and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Activities include hiking, biking, Nordic skiing, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, bird watching and photography tours. This is also an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing lodge. “Leveraging financial success into the joys of owning a western ranch is an ongoing trend that we are seeing,” says Kilgore. According to Landreport.com, in 2015 Ted Turner ranked second among the list of America’s 100 largest landowners. This list resonates with American titans, some of whom, according to Kilgore, are also in the dude ranch business: Philip Anschutz (Emerald Valley Ranch), James E. Manley (Ranch at Rock Creek), and Arthur Blank (Mountain Sky Guest Ranch)...more

Tax Meat Until It’s Too Expensive To Eat, New UN Report Suggests

Meat should be taxed at the wholesale level to raise the price and deter consumption, says a new report from the UN’s International Research Panel (IRP). This will (supposedly) save the environment and prevent global warming. “I think it is extremely urgent,” said Professor Maarten Hajer of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, lead author of the report. “All of the harmful effects on the environment and on health needs to be priced into food products.” Hajer and other members of the IRP assert that livestock creates 14.5 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Sneak the tax up on people Rather than taxing the meat at the retail level (in supermarkets and shops), Hajer recommended taxing it at the wholesale level. “We think it’s better to price meats earlier in the chain, it’s easier,” said Hajer. “The evidence is accumulating that meat, particularly red meat, is just a disaster for the environment,” agrees Rachel Premack, a columnist for The Washington Post’s Wongblog. “Agriculture today accounts for for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions that promote global warming,” says Premack, “and half of those agriculture emissions come from livestock.” “Agriculture consumes 80 percent of water in the US – most of that being for meat, says Premack. “… For a kilogram of red meat, you need considerably more water than for plant products.” “Meanwhile, Denmark is considering a recommendation from its ethics council that all red meats should be taxed,” Premack continues...more

HT: Bill Sellers

Ranch Radio Song Of The Day #1675

Here's another Country Classic:  Faron Young - Sweet Dreams.  The tune was recorded in Nashville on April 27, 1956. 

https://youtu.be/Lny9S2_Gw5A

Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Feds reclaim control of Alaska gamelands, ban bear, wolf hunts by air

The exiting Obama administration gave animal rights groups a major victory Wednesday, ending predator hunts over 76 million acres of Alaska wildlife refuges and handing hunters, the National Rifle Association and the state's own Board of Game a huge defeat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled an end to aggressive hunts of predators like bears and wolves, nixing hunting by plane and helicopter, baiting, killing mother bears with their cubs and wolves and wolf pups in their dens. At issue was the state's policies of allowing predators to be hunted aggressively and by means some find unethical so that there would be fewer bears and wolves to kill the moose, caribou and deer sought by two-legged hunters...more

Here’s The Devastation Left Behind By Big Sur’s Wildfire

California’s Soberanes fire has more than doubled in size in the past week, scorching more than 43,000 acres along the state’s picturesque central coast and leaving mounds of ashes where homes once stood.  The fire, which has been burning in Soberanes Creek, Garrapata State Park and the area north of Big Sur since July 22, is now larger than San Francisco, the Weather Channel noted Monday. It’s destroyed 57 homes, damaged another three, forced 350 people to evacuate and left one person dead, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday morning. It’s still only 18 percent contained and threatens 2,000 other structures. “Fire continues to burn in steep, rugged and inaccessible terrain,” the department, known as Cal Fire, said in Tuesday’s update. Californians have become familiar with such catastrophic wildfires in recent years, as nearly five years of drought and record-high temperatures have dried up forests and primed them for massive blazes. Cal Fire said last month it responded to twice as many fires in the first half of 2016 as in that period of 2015...more

Illegal campfire sparked huge Big Sur-area wildfire

A devastating coastal California wildfire that’s destroyed 57 homes and caused the death of a bulldozer driver was sparked by an illegal campfire, authorities said Tuesday as they asked for help finding the culprit. Whoever built and then abandoned the fire around July 22 in the Garrapata State Park could face criminal and civil penalties for sparking the blaze, which has now burned more than 43,000 acres near Carmel, Big Sur and the Pebble Beach golf resort. Authorities said hikers who reported the fire had to first climb up to a ridge top to get mobile phone reception. “We understand the devastation and hardship this incident has caused,” CALFIRE Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said. “We appeal for anyone who was in the area of origin to please come forward and give any information they have, no matter how inconsequential they may believe it to be. It could be instrumental in this investigation.” The campfire was started about two miles from the main road, in an area closed to camping, state parks officials said...more

BLM Begins Northeast County “Re-Engagement”

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) furthered its ongoing process of “re-engaging” with the communities of northeastern Clark County last week. BLM Las Vegas Field Office Manager Gayle Marrs-Smith made an appearance at the Moapa Town Advisory Board (MTAB) meeting on Tuesday, July 26 and gave a brief presentation to the board and the Moapa residents assembled there. It was the first public meeting attended by BLM officials in the northeast Clark County region since the agency’s standoff with supporters of Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy in April 2014. Since that time, BLM personnel have not been allowed to conduct any work or operations in the region due to safety and security concerns. Marrs-Smith said that the past two years have been difficult for the regional BLM staff because of the amount of work that was needed in the region and not able to be done. “It has been a long two years,” she said. “And it has been rough for us. We have gotten way behind on our work. Now we want to go back out and get back engaged. But we want to do it with the communities’ support.” The MTAB meeting was the first in a series of public meetings that will take the BLM officials across all of the communities of northeast Clark County, Marrs-Smith said. Next week, similar presentations will be made to the Mesquite City Council, the Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board and to the Bunkerville Town Advisory Board...more

 "Re"-engagement is probably a misnomer.

County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick, who was in attendance at the meeting, told board members that she had urged BLM officials to come back and engage in a positive dialog with the northeast county community residents.
“This is a big step for the BLM to come back,” Kirkpatrick said. “I gave my word to work together and collaborate with them for the best interests of the community.”


Local government reached out to the BLM, rather than the other way around.

Let's recall that FLPMA requires the BLM to "coordinate the land use inventory, planning, and management activities of or for such lands" with State and local government.

Drones Drop Fire Balls To Ignite Extreme Controlled Burns

The Great Plains of the American West are becoming a great sea of shrubs—and wimpy manmade fires are at the heart of the problem. That's according to ecologist Dirac Twidwell, who believes controlled burns simply aren't hot enough to control the woody shrubs that are taking over the prairies.  What's needed are "extreme fires," meaning fires that burn hot and are erratic and nonlinear in their movement, Twidwell wrote in a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. And to help manage these extreme fires, Twidwell and a team of engineers from the University of Nebraska have created drones that can start extreme fires from the sky, a prototype of which we previously covered. In the past, lightening regularly ignited fires in the plains, killing off tree seedlings and shrubs, and promoting the growth of fire-adapted grasses. But decades of fire-control by humans has altered that natural process, allowing woody shrubs to prosper and overtake the grassland. This is a problem for ranchers hoping to maintain quality grazing land for cattle and for wildlife managers seeking to maintain the native ecosystem. The low-intensity controlled burns they've employed have inhibited large-scale wild fires by restricting potential fuel, but in doing so have facilitated the march of the shrubs, which can survive low heat fires...The idea for the fire drones started as a joke between Twidwell and co-author Craig Allen, a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey. But they quickly realized it had real potential. Twidwell worked with a team of engineers at the University of Nebraska's NIMBUS Lab to develop drones that deploy ping-pong-ball-sized "dragon eggs" loaded with fire-starting chemicals to ignite controlled fires. They're safe and cheap, Twidwell says, taking on a dangerous job normally carried out by range crews and helicopter pilots...more

Managed grazing helps forests, experts say

With California wildfires becoming more frequent and intense, ranchers and other natural resources experts say public policy on livestock grazing as a potential tool to manage fuel and vegetation needs to be reevaluated to allow more flexibility. Despite mounting research that shows well-managed grazing could help reduce wildfire risk and severity, livestock stocking rates on public lands have dropped substantially through the years—and continue their downward trend today. Prior to the 1980s, production of food, fiber, fuel and water was the primary focus on public lands, Tate said, and that affected streams, wetlands and other riparian areas. But by the 1990s, with concerns about riparian habitat and endangered species, grazing policies began to change and conservation became more of a focus, in order to allow public lands to be used for a variety of purposes. These changes resulted in significant reductions of livestock on public lands. Since 1980, the number of animal unit months—which refers to the amount of forage a thousand-pound cow and her calf will eat in one month—on U.S. Forest Service lands dropped by 50 percent, UC researchers found. From 2000 to 2013, total AUMs declined 27 percent on national forestlands and 23 percent on U.S Bureau of Land Management lands in California. Of the more than 700 grazing allotments on Forest Service land in the state, only about 500 are actively grazed, Tate pointed out. At the same time, the number of grazing herds of deer, antelope and other wild animals also has diminished in forestlands, allowing overgrowth of vegetation and increasing fire risk, Snell said...more

FWS working with ranchers to preserve range

...Recently, some public opinion has suggested that livestock grazing may be incompatible with conserving the sagebrush ecosystem, specifically sage grouse habitat.

Your U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Great Basin area State Directors are sharing our perspectives gained collectively through decades of both scientific study and on-the-ground learning from those who live on the land.

There are current and legacy examples of livestock grazing negatively affecting sagebrush ecosystems and sage grouse habitat. However, we are aware of many examples of ranchers grazing livestock in a manner that keeps the sagebrush ecosystem healthy for both wildlife and people.
This fact is important to recognize, learn from and share.

Livestock grazing may be the most widespread, long-term human influence on sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin since European settlement. But it is invasive plants, especially cheatgrass, which have changed how the sagebrush ecosystem responds to stress from wildfire and grazing.

Another threat is the degradation of riparian areas, wet meadows and springheads. Avoiding overgrazing – however that may be defined – is key to supporting a healthy sagebrush ecosystem, which includes abundant native bunchgrasses and forbs. These rangelands are less likely to host cheatgrass, have a higher resilience from disturbance such as fire and are less likely to be impacted by grazing.

While we acknowledge that improperly managed livestock grazing can facilitate threats to upland and riparian areas, we have also seen that proper grazing can achieve healthy outcomes.

For years the Service has collaborated with ranchers who have demonstrated an interest in and ability to graze livestock in a way that conserves sagebrush ecosystems and is consistent with objectives in the newly revised federal land management plans. Working cooperatively with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and state resource agencies, we are reaching out to ranchers more and asking them to teach us how their successful grazing management is promoting native plants, reducing cheatgrass, and ensuring healthy riparian areas and springs. This collaboration across federal, state and private land ownership is key to removing threats to sage grouse and sagebrush ecosystems.


 Ted Koch is U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service field supervisor for Nevada; Paul Henson is state supervisor for Oregon; Dennis Mackey is state supervisor for Idaho; and Larry Crist is state supervisor for Utah.

Senator Lee hosts standing-room only hearing on PLI

It was standing room only on July 27 as US Senator Mike Lee held a field hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The meeting focused on the Public Lands Initiative and the proposed Bears Ears National Monument. A crowd estimated at 1,000 filled the San Juan High School auditorium and spilled over into adjacent rooms and corridors to hear testimony from five people. Senator Lee heard from Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Congressman Rob Bishop, San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams, and local residents Chester Johnson and Lewis Singer. Afterwards, several dozen local residents were able to voice their concerns at a town hall meeting format. The hearing was in marked contrast to a July 16 hearing with federal officials in Bluff, which included Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. At the Bluff meeting, the crowd was roughly equal for or against the national monument. Large groups of people from outside of the area attended the hearing to support the monument, including several large busloads from surrounding states. In Blanding, primarily local residents made a strong voice against the proposed National Monument, with messages written on cars and on signs along the sidewalks. Nearly half of the large crowd were Native American. They presented a united front of local residents opposed to the creation of a national monument. Read more: San Juan Record - Classifieds, Events, Businesses in Monticello, San Juan County, Utah - Senator Lee hosts standing room only hearing on PLI...more

$2.3 Million for Navajo ranchers through Beef Program

The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE) in conjunction with Labatt Food Service and Navajo Nation Leadership is celebrating the continued expansion of the successful Navajo Beef Program three years after its launch the end of 2012. The program now features 23 local Navajo ranching families raising high quality beef, Labatt Food Service distributing it and NNGE purchasing it to serve in its resort, casinos and restaurants. Since its launch November 2012, the program has grown in revenue for local Navajo ranchers, product distributed and customer base and by the end of 2016 is projected to produce $2.3 Million in revenue. “We are proud to partner with local ranchers and improve their quality of life in conjunction with Labatt and our Navajo Nation leadership team,” stated Derrick Watchman, CEO of NNGE. “The Navajo Beef Program is part of our larger commitment to Buy Navajo and allows our properties to better showcase world-class Navajo cuisine to the world while generating much needed revenue and jobs for the Navajo people. We would like to thank the Navajo Nation Council – including Council Delegate Lorenzo Curley – for their efforts to make this visionary program a reality.” In its first year (2012 – 2013) the Navajo Beef Program – through Navajo ranchers – produced 545 head of cattle and generated more than $500,000 of revenue back into the local Navajo community. Growth during its second year (2013- 2014) increased by approximately 15 percent. Revenue generated back for Navajo Ranchers was approximately $750,000 for year two. In year three, additional Navajo ranchers and their families in Arizona and New Mexico are participating and together will earn a projected $2.3 Million with 1,998 total head of cattle...more

Caught on camera: Bear hitches ride on garbage truck


A video and explanation is here.