Cattle grazing on Arizona trust land isn't just about the money

Benny Aja

...But rather than spend time discussing why our costs to operate the ranch today are as much as four times what they were in 1996, the date referred to in the article, I’d like to talk about the science-based, proven benefits of grazing on our public lands. Cattle ranchers serve as a tool for land management on behalf of the state. As a rancher, I like to identify the illuminating number of very important environmental benefits responsible grazing does for public and private lands. Those benefits include:

• Increasing diversity of plant and animal species.
• Reducing wildfire threat from rangeland fires (an important one in Arizona and California). 
• Restoring habitat for wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.
• Controlling invasive plant species.
• Controlling erosion from water runoff for improved water quality.
• Improving vegetation along stream banks and watershed health.
• Offering visually attractive vistas.
• Preventing fragmentation of habitat from housing and commercial development, and maintaining connected wildlife corridors.
• Preserving open space in a rapidly growing state.
• Offering recreational opportunities, such as hiking and wildlife viewing.

Much of our state lands currently under grazing are not suitable for other enterprises. Yet the forage grown on these lands can be used by cattle to produce an agricultural product while the water we maintain for our cattle also allows wildlife to thrive. Ultimately, my role as an Arizona rancher is to steward the land for future generations, including my own grandchildren. Providing food for my family and yours are what gets me out of bed every day...MORE