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Show Area Sheepman Reflects on Another Erosion of Public Grazing Rights This is not the first time that Emmett Elizondo has seen his grazing privileges taken away from him. Elizondo, of Fruita, Colo., owns one of the largest sheep operations west of the Rockies. He came to America Amer-ica from the Basque region of northern Spain when but a lad of 18. It was in Wyoming Wyo-ming where he got his start in herding sheep, but then in the 1920's he got his own herd. Since that time it's been a nip-and-tuck race with the government. In the early days he lost valuable grazing rights when Arches National Nation-al Monument was created. Later he sold some of the property consisting of the Turn-bow Cabin and ranch to the National Park Service. Then on January 20, 1969, Emmett Elizondo was one of the stockmen who was startled start-led to learn that more of his grazing rights on the public domain had ceased or would be phased out. This was due to the instant expansion of Arches National Monument. Others in this area and in the area of the Waterpocket Fold found that Johnson's proclamation had cut them off from future grazing rights and that their operation oper-ation would be phased out. Mr. Elizondo raised a pertinent per-tinent question in a Times-Independent Times-Independent interview: "Why can't tourism . and stock -grazing be compatible?" compat-ible?" he asked. Elizondo brought out the fact that he grazes his sheep high in the Colorado mountains moun-tains -during the heavy tourist tour-ist season. His animals are only permitted to graze on the lands formerly adjacent to Arches National Monument Monu-ment in the wintertime and under a strict BLM range-control range-control program. Only the winter visitors would ever see the sheep herds that Mr. Elizondo grazes. And these would have to find their way into the remote stretches of the new addition, addi-tion, sections that will probably" pro-bably" always remain in a primitive near-wilderness situation, si-tuation, even as part of Arches Ar-ches National Monument. Even if tourists came across herds of sheep or cattle cat-tle grazing peacefully within with-in a national monument, there would be no conflict, contends Mr. Elizondo. At such times a tourist will stop his car and snap pictures of the scene. And this, many times he would not do, if there were no stock animals grazing. Mr. Elizondo will have to diminish his sheep herds by some 395 animlas according to figures released Monday by BLM Area Manager Doug Wood. This would be on a phase-out program perhaps of several years' duration, depending on government decisions after public hearings hear-ings have been held. But the latest "instant" ! I ,- ' i '7 '-XVl'j,, - V' " -v-,v ,: - . -. j " - - -I 1 -i V- - - v ' r ' V -.- ... ' ,s . - - a- -. . , Mtm . ; ; . v. - "y:-&rL' . r -, -i V 1.. -' "' -' ; ' -2' : . W-.i Mr. Emmett Elizondo of Fruita, one of the largest sheep operators in the West, discusses the water problem with BLM Area Manager Doug Wood. Elizondo is one of the area stockmen affected by the Arches expansion. creation of (he local monuments monu-ments has precipitated an issue which may cause changes chan-ges in the policies concerning concern-ing national monument jurisdiction. jur-isdiction. And these changes may be in favor of stockmen stock-men like Emmett Elizondo. |