Public Lands Management Public Lands Management A Local Perspective on Public A Local Perspective on Public Lands Grazing Lands Grazing Presented by Presented by Dan Macon Dan Macon High Sierra Resource Conservation High Sierra Resource Conservation & Development Council & Development Council November 8, 2005 November 8, 2005
Introduction/Overview Introduction/Overview � Personal/Professional Background Personal/Professional Background � � Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives � � The Local Importance of Public Lands The Local Importance of Public Lands � � Innovations in Grazing Management on Innovations in Grazing Management on � Public Lands Public Lands � Questions Questions �
Background Background � Personal Personal � Professional Professional � � � Lifelong Sierra Nevada Lifelong Sierra Nevada � Macon Brothers Macon Brothers � � resident Auctioneers resident Auctioneers � Graduate of UC Davis Graduate of UC Davis � California Cattlemen California Cattlemen’ ’s s � � (1990) Association (1990) Association � Currently live in Currently live in � California Farm Water California Farm Water � � Auburn Coalition Auburn Coalition � Part Part- -time time � AgResource Solutions AgResource Solutions � � farmer/rancher farmer/rancher � California Rangeland California Rangeland � � Past President Past President – – Calif. Calif.- - Trust Trust � Pacific Section, Society Pacific Section, Society � High Sierra RC&D High Sierra RC&D � for Range for Range Council Council Management Management
Does common ground exist? Does common ground exist?
High Sierra RC&D High Sierra RC&D � Nonprofit council Nonprofit council � dedicated to dedicated to sustainable resource- - sustainable resource based economic based economic development and development and natural resource natural resource conservation efforts conservation efforts
Rangelands Defined Rangelands Defined � NRCS: NRCS: Land on which the historic climax plant community is � Land on which the historic climax plant community is predominantly grasses, grass like plants, forbs, or shrubs. predominantly grasses, grass like plants, forbs, or shrubs. Includes land re- - vegetated naturally or artificially when routine vegetated naturally or artificially when routine Includes land re management of that vegetation is accomplished mainly through management of that vegetation is accomplished mainly through manipulation of grazing. Rangeland includes native or manipulation of grazing. Rangeland includes native or naturalized grasslands, savanna, shrub lands, most deserts, naturalized grasslands, savanna, shrub lands, most deserts, tundra, alpine communities, coastal marshes and wet meadows. tundra, alpine communities, coastal marshes and wet meadows. � Cowboy: Cowboy: Land that is too cold, too high, too dry or too � Land that is too cold, too high, too dry or too steep to grow anything else! steep to grow anything else! � Approximately 40 million acres in Approximately 40 million acres in � California (half of which is public land) California (half of which is public land)
Photo: Paul Starrs
Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives � Historically, ranchers Historically, ranchers � The Homestead Act The Homestead Act � � and livestock have and other federal and livestock have and other federal followed the high policies failed to followed the high policies failed to quality feed recognize the realities quality feed recognize the realities of ranching and of ranching and � Livestock graze in the Livestock graze in the � valley and foothills farming in the arid valley and foothills farming in the arid (private land) in the (private land) in the West West winter and spring winter and spring � 160 acres of eastern 160 acres of eastern � � As lower elevations As lower elevations � Lassen County Lassen County dry out, livestock are dry out, livestock are rangeland will support rangeland will support moved to the moved to the one cow- -calf pair or calf pair or one cow mountains mountains seven sheep seven sheep
Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives � Public Land grazing Public Land grazing � Forage provided by public Forage provided by public � � allotments are tied to a land is often critical to allotments are tied to a land is often critical to “home ranch home ranch” ” (a.k.a. (a.k.a. – – individual ranching “ individual ranching base property) operations. base property) operations. � Land and/or water can be Land and/or water can be � Is grazing on federal land Is grazing on federal land � � considered base property considered base property a right or a privilege? a right or a privilege? � Some ranching families Some ranching families � � Public lands are far more Public lands are far more � have been using these have been using these important to ranching in important to ranching in “allotments allotments” ” since before since before “ the West than they are the West than they are the Forest Service or BLM the Forest Service or BLM existed existed elsewhere elsewhere � ~ 1/2 of the cattle in the ~ 1/2 of the cattle in the � West spend at least part of West spend at least part of their lives on public lands their lives on public lands
The category "Home Ranch" designates the permanent property of a livestock ranch. I t is required by law of all ranchers who wish to make use of federal rangelands, and can include acreage as slender as a few dozen acres, or as much as several thousand. Nonetheless, it is a testament to a livestock owner's commitment to the local area, and is supposed to guard against despoiling the range. The success of this thinking is not certain. Paul Starrs University of Nevada, Reno
Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives Grazing Fees Grazing Fees � Private Land Lease Private Land Lease � Public Land Grazing Fee Public Land Grazing Fee � � � Generally higher quality Generally higher quality � Generally lower quality Generally lower quality � � feed feed feed feed � Exclusive use Exclusive use � More extensive operation More extensive operation � � (greater acreage) (greater acreage) � Better facilities (fences, Better facilities (fences, � corrals, etc.) corrals, etc.) � Multiple use Multiple use � � Closer to transportation Closer to transportation � Utilization restrictions Utilization restrictions � � � Lower death loss Lower death loss � Some facilities must be Some facilities must be � � “reconstructed reconstructed” ” every year every year “ � Further from the Further from the “ “home home � ranch” ” – – higher higher ranch transportation costs transportation costs � Higher death loss Higher death loss �
The Local Importance of Public The Local Importance of Public Lands Lands � Economic Economic � � Timber Timber � � Ranching Ranching � � Recreation Recreation � � Ecological Ecological � � Watershed Watershed � � Habitat Habitat � � Quality of Life Quality of Life � � View View � � Open Space Open Space � � Fire Protection Fire Protection �
What values do ranches produce? What values do ranches produce? � Local economic contributions (including Local economic contributions (including � multipliers) multipliers) � Social/cultural contributions Social/cultural contributions � � Habitat improvement Habitat improvement � � Watershed protection Watershed protection � � Fuels management Fuels management � � Viewshed Viewshed � � Open space Open space �
What’ ’s at risk if we lose s at risk if we lose What local resource- -based based local resource businesses? businesses?
Photo: Luanna Dowling
Photo: Paul Starrs
Sprawl and fragmentation impact the environment by disrupting wildlife migratory routes, damaging watershed function, and converting vegetative communities. Photo: Sonoran Institute
Sprawl impacts local infrastructure and the tax base by: Increasing the need for services (fire, police, ambulance, etc.) Impacting roads, sewer system, water system, etc. Local governments rarely examine the costs of servicing new development Photo: Paul Starrs
Innovations Innovations � Management Planning and Monitoring Management Planning and Monitoring � � Managed Grazing Managed Grazing � � Off Off- -Stream Water Development Stream Water Development � � Controlling Brush and Woody Vegetation Controlling Brush and Woody Vegetation � � Riparian Restoration and Enhancement Riparian Restoration and Enhancement � � Controlled Burning and Prescribed Fire Controlled Burning and Prescribed Fire � � Native Grass Restoration Native Grass Restoration � � Multi Multi- -Species Grazing Species Grazing � � Conservation Easements Conservation Easements �
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