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Show PAGE 21 THE ZEPHYR AUGUST 89 profits of a few. But, Tony was such s nlcs guy that ws agrssd to dlsagrsa on ths Issus of grazing In. th national forests. Ws shared so many other a love of nature, climbing, river running and all of the other Interests: things that draw us all to this remarkable canyon country. The summer before he left, I had contacted him concerning some dead cattle that wars left bloated and rotting In the headwaters of Miners Basin. Some friends of mine had drunk the water below the basin and were appalled to find the rotting cattle In the stream above. Tony took care of the problem and also started an erosion study of the Miners Basin drainage for his own I was unaware edification. of the study until two days before Tony's transfer. We were both at a service station In town and I went over to tell him goodbye. During our conversation, he mentioned to me the study and told me to get a copy from the Forest Service after he departed. It was clearly evident that his environmental Impact study on the effects of grazing In Miners Basin was a bomb shelL I respected his request and asked for a copy of the study a few weeks later. Although I'm on the mailing list of the Forest Service and they have sent me many studies and prospective programs, So I must ask again now, Forest Service Tony's study Is not forthcoming. Is where environmental the. administrators, Impact study on the effects of grazing In Miners Basin? Is It not part of the public record? And should It not be part of the public record that we private citizens be Informed as to the number of cattle and their locations In the public domain? So far this Information has not been made available. In conclusion: Like so many activities, grazing cattle In the high country has been with us for a long time. It has only been recently that we are beginning to realize the long term effects of such practices. Grazing cattle In extremely The U. S. fragile and vulnerable environments Is no longer Justifiable. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management owe It to their employers (the American people) to administer these delicate areas wisely and with an eye to the future. Grazing should be practiced In ranchers own fields and In areas where Its effects are not going to be destructive to the publics Interests at large. Grazing permits should be withdrawn from areas adjacent to private lands where It Is a health hazard and nuisance. Equally, permits should be withdrawn from areas that are commonly used by sportsmen, picnickers, day campers, hikers and so on. Only then will these Institutions be fulfilling their responsibility of being the caretakers of the public trust In the true spirit of multiple use. P house painterillusionist 259-810- 8 timothy I. knouff . . , . Interesting statistics: ; 1. In It e a time when good water Is becoming Increasingly Important to our has been estimated that for every pound of beef, 1,500 gallons society, of water have been consumed and 35 pounds of top soil eroded. In wild habitat, because of the selective nature of what cattle eat, 2. they retard those species of plants from reproduction In the next generation. In other words, those species which the cattle do not eat are more likely to bare seed and extend their niche at the expense of the edible varieties. In such a situation, It becomes apparent that grazing literally destroys the symbiotic balance of the plants In the grazing zone and ' the quality of grazing deteriorates accordingly. 3. Unlike deer, cattle are heavy with large hooves that break down plant life easily. They are social animals which follow one another about,, which quickly creates trails which are highly susceptible on mountain Inclines to erosion, forming gullies and Instant loss of top solL They are continuously defecating, often In water which pollutes and contaminates the water supply. 4. Equajly, each excrement creates a major ecosystem for Insects, biting flies and gnats. Their inhabitation of an area throws the entire Insect world out of balance and makes the area virtually unusable for recreational activities. By vastly Increasing the ecosystem of biting Insects, cattle unwittingly Impact upon the natural spades In the area as well as any other "use (such as picnicking, camping, fishing, backpacking, Jeeplng and this is not an ad this is only a test if this had been an actual ad you would have been instructed to call k. group 259-8- 1 08 zeke and maralee francis Four Corners Design (across from the post office) , BACK TO SCHOOL SALE! riding). Shirts and Sweatshirts Neon Shirts, also: Pepsi Products 1.99 sixpack save the whale - , V, ,, - v- -- .4. , ' , ..tv, - ; t t , ,y r - w , k. c , . . a . ... 4 r r. , six-col- or Polaroid photography 259-513- 8 knouff terry now featuring: capacity, direct screening oldest irt shop in moab estb. 1980 |