Conference addresses conflicts with government and users
Finding the path to grazing
Redge Johnson, county liaison for Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, presents ideas on how to preserve and restore grazing on public lands during a grazing conference hosted in Richfield Feb. 18. Approximately 350 ranchers attended the event.
Posted: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 5:06 pm | Updated: 5:07 pm, Wed Feb 24, 2016.
Approximately 350 ranchers from throughout the state converged on the campus of Snow College Richfield Feb. 18 to discuss the future of grazing on public lands. “Someone is going to get hurt,” said Utah Farm Bureau CEO Randy Parker. He held a newspaper clipping that detailed a movement on social media encouraging people to shoot cattle on public lands as an example of how grazing is under attack. “If they’re out there shooting people’s property, they’re likely to get shot themselves,” Parker said. He said the conference was a way to get information out to ranchers and show legal ways to fight the public lands battle.
“Hopefully, they’ll not feel like they’re isolated and that they don’t have any help,” Parker said.
One issue that was discussed is the discrepancy between federal officials and how they administrate lands.
“We’d like to see some more continuity, there is already enough uncertainty in this industry,” Parker said. “There is a lot of frustration.”
One of the keys to delivering continuity to grazing in the state is the development of county land use plans, said Redge Johnson, county liaison for Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office.
“By law, county and state plans have to be taken into consideration,” Johnson said. He said some counties, such as Garfield, are already well on their way to developing land use plans. The plans have to be science based — not wish lists. Once all 29 counties in the state have plans, they will be rolled into a state plan, Johnson said.
“We can use it to our benefit,” Johnson said. “They will need your institutional knowledge.” He said ranchers should participate in public comment periods as well as the development of land use plans, because they have on the ground knowledge of the land.
“Through grazing, biodiversity has been allowed to flourish,” Johnson said. He said grazing, when done properly, is actually a world’s first “green industry.”
“Look at your product,” Johnson said. “You take an inedible biomass and turn it into a high quality protein.” He said ranching is the economic driver in many rural communities.
The state of Utah has a grazing resolution group, which is designed to help ranchers regain some of what has been lost, Johnson said.
“We’re looking at a great water year,” Johnson said. “How many of you have gotten calls from your local BLM [Bureau of Land Management] or Forest Service office to tell you that there’s more AUMs [animal unit months] available?”
After no one in the theater of the Sevier Valley Center raised their hands, Johnson said that AUMs are often suspended during drought years, but not reinstated when there’s plenty of water and extra forage.
Johnson said another issue is keeping access to lands open. Some operations that have been “trailing” for 150 years are finding routes shut down, making it impossible to access the areas they need to in order to manage their cattle.
“Hopefully, they’ll not feel like they’re isolated and that they don’t have any help,” Parker said.
One issue that was discussed is the discrepancy between federal officials and how they administrate lands.
“We’d like to see some more continuity, there is already enough uncertainty in this industry,” Parker said. “There is a lot of frustration.”
One of the keys to delivering continuity to grazing in the state is the development of county land use plans, said Redge Johnson, county liaison for Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office.
“By law, county and state plans have to be taken into consideration,” Johnson said. He said some counties, such as Garfield, are already well on their way to developing land use plans. The plans have to be science based — not wish lists. Once all 29 counties in the state have plans, they will be rolled into a state plan, Johnson said.
“We can use it to our benefit,” Johnson said. “They will need your institutional knowledge.” He said ranchers should participate in public comment periods as well as the development of land use plans, because they have on the ground knowledge of the land.
“Through grazing, biodiversity has been allowed to flourish,” Johnson said. He said grazing, when done properly, is actually a world’s first “green industry.”
“Look at your product,” Johnson said. “You take an inedible biomass and turn it into a high quality protein.” He said ranching is the economic driver in many rural communities.
The state of Utah has a grazing resolution group, which is designed to help ranchers regain some of what has been lost, Johnson said.
“We’re looking at a great water year,” Johnson said. “How many of you have gotten calls from your local BLM [Bureau of Land Management] or Forest Service office to tell you that there’s more AUMs [animal unit months] available?”
After no one in the theater of the Sevier Valley Center raised their hands, Johnson said that AUMs are often suspended during drought years, but not reinstated when there’s plenty of water and extra forage.
Johnson said another issue is keeping access to lands open. Some operations that have been “trailing” for 150 years are finding routes shut down, making it impossible to access the areas they need to in order to manage their cattle.
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