American prairie. What's the issue?

[Straight Arrow]

I can certainly see how insulting it would be as a multi-generational steward of the land to hear from folks coming into the community that they’re a problem and this organization is going to fix what ranchers have ruined.

I can certainly see that as well. However, as someone watching, questioning, learning, experiencing, then beginning to support AP since its inception, that above is something I have never heard, read, or attributed to AP. It seems the AP spokesperson twenty years ago did not choose his words wisely ... or the perception was skewed or negatively preconceived ... or both. Unfortunately it planted opposition which hopefully will be mollified as actions of AP are recognized and appreciated as protection and conservation of The Last Best Place. AP actions and rhetoric are certainly NOT criticism of ranching ruining anything.

 

[Nunjagottam]

FIFY

Truth X1,000!!

 

[Straight Arrow]

And another factual, reasonable article with rationale conclusions regarding the American Prairie grazing issue.

Thomas Baumeister: Bison, bureaucrats and bad politics with American Prairie

Under Montana law, privately owned bison are classified and regulated as livestock and are treated much like cattle. Unlike their wild counterparts in Yellowstone, these animals are fenced, handled and

www.bozemandailychronicle.com

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

There are a few multi-generational stewards of land, and there are a lot more multi-generational users of land. Let's not romanticize the fact that at the end of the day, the goal for most is still to make enough money to at least survive on, if not get wealthy. I have a hard time buying the true "steward" angle from anyone who still has to turn a profit from their land. The few true stewards I know manage land as a hobby, having made their money elsewhere. So if they need to rest an area from grazing, they do. If they need to rest it for 10-20 years to allow plant diversity to recover, they will. Land management, like so many other businesses, runs the entire spectrum from horrible to outstanding. But that doesn't keep even the sub-standard managers from tossing around the word "steward" as if they know what that means. I've heard too many owners of overgrazed highly degraded lands say nobody can do as good a job of managing that land as they can. I think we all have.

Another thing to consider is that this generation and the one before it and in most cases even the one before it, don't even know what that land looked like pre-contact. So they can easily be fooled into thinking they are really restoring something when in fact it has lost so much of its original character (soil, seed bank, hydrology) that it may never be fully restored.

That said, this comment I completely agree with -

There’s a big difference from communication that’s inclusive and respectful to potential partners rather than alienating.

 

[Straight Arrow]

There are a few multi-generational stewards of land, and there are a lot more multi-generational users of land. Let's not romanticize the fact that at the end of the day, the goal for most is still to make enough money to at least survive on, if not get wealthy. I have a hard time buying the true "steward" angle from anyone who still has to turn a profit from their land. The few true stewards I know manage land as a hobby, having made their money elsewhere. So if they need to rest an area from grazing, they do. If they need to rest it for 10-20 years to allow plant diversity to recover, they will. Land management, like so many other businesses, runs the entire spectrum from horrible to outstanding. But that doesn't keep even the sub-standard managers from tossing around the word "steward" as if they know what that means. I've heard too many owners of overgrazed highly degraded lands say nobody can do as good a job of managing that land as they can. I think we all have.

Another thing to consider is that this generation and the one before it and in most cases even the one before it, don't even know what that land looked like pre-contact. So they can easily be fooled into thinking they are really restoring something when in fact it has lost so much of its original character (soil, seed bank, hydrology) that it may never be fully restored.

That said, this comment I completely agree with -

Agreement with what you have expressed. However, it does not seem to be in context with American Prairie ... 'seemingly unrelated to American Prairie programs, goals, and "stewardship".

 

[Wildabeest]

The Taylor Grazing Act that the BLM invokes does not specify any required level of commercial livestock production. It is silent on how many head or how much meat an operation must generate, or how a permittee may balance production with other values.

I found the above interesting. Given this administration’s pressure on SCOTUS to rescind the Chevron doctrine, it seems a bit hypocritical that the BLM is attempting to regulate something not specifically stated in law (ie. it’s “ambiguous” to use the wording from the SCOTUS ruling). Seems the plaintiffs might have a strong argument in this basis.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

The Taylor Grazing Act that the BLM invokes does not specify any required level of commercial livestock production. It is silent on how many head or how much meat an operation must generate, or how a permittee may balance production with other values.

I found the above interesting. Given this administration’s pressure on SCOTUS to rescind the Chevron doctrine, it seems a bit hypocritical that the BLM is attempting to regulate something not specifically stated in law (ie. it’s “ambiguous” to use the wording from the SCOTUS ruling). Seems the plaintiffs might have a strong argument in this basis.

What I find stunning is that often the one individual who has the most influence over stocking rates, is the county tax assessor who dictates how many head a landowner must run to qualify for an ag exemption. And that can vary wildly from one county to the next. They aren't required to have any knowledge of land management, ecology, carrying capacity, etc. and yet so many landowners are locked into an overgrazed situation or go broke paying taxes. Of course, most states won't overhaul their ag exemption rules because of who is running things. But we can dream, right? Ag exemption rules have more influence on wildlife habitat than all the conservation dollars combined. At least, in the states I'm familiar with.