OCR Text |
Show Western Resources ...;...WE.ap-up Range management, West Colorado seminar The nation's rangeland "is a step-ld step-ld of natural resources and "cultural production. Insufficient '1 for rangeland programs and not highlyualified personnel also ".limited progress," as has the It-price squeezc.on the livestock oducer" -Summary on Tucson, rangeland 1979 symposium By Helene C. Monberg Washington For the first time in the story of the public domain full fining fini-ng is provided in the 1981 fiscal year idget for rangeland management, and e Administration has no plans to cut ,ck on this budget despite the on-going view. Not at this time, at least. The 198I budget for the fiscal year irting Oct. 1, 1980 states there will be i significant increase in 1981 for in-stment in-stment projects to improve the quali-of quali-of the public domain rangelands. The oposed 1981 level of budget authority $y? million compared with $68 million 1380" fiscal year ending Sept. 30 for ireau of Land Management (BLM) nge. Die Administration sought the in-ease in-ease solely for public domain ngelands totalling about 170 million res in the 11 Western states. The 1981 dget for range management in the itional Forest System, where the U.S. rest Service manages about 100 Ion acres for livestock grazing, pro-ies pro-ies for no such increase, rhe 1981 Administration budget re-est re-est for the NFS range totals 1,328,000, according to the Forest Ser-:e Ser-:e budget office. This is a little less jii the $35,367,000 provided in the curat cur-at 1380 fiscal year, but a little more a that $32,733,000 provided in 1979 cal year for the National Forest nge. s nearly 45 percent of all federal ngelands "are in fair or poor condi-n," condi-n," according to Dr. M. Rupert itler, Assistant Secretary of jiculture, why the sharp increase in iding for BLM grazing lands and not the Forest Service range? Western sources Wrap-up (WRW) asked a mber of officials here in the past two ks. " -'tOP PRIORITY-'-WITH ANDRUS BLM Deputy Director Edward L. istey replied, "Interior Secretary wil D.) Andrus made this a top iority item. He talked to the Office of anagement and Budget about it per-nally. per-nally. Director (Frank) Gregg of M favors upgrading the rangelands the public domain in the West not onto on-to improve grazing but also to irh-ove irh-ove fish and wildlife habitat and itershed management," Hastey told RW. In addition to having two top of-tols of-tols at the Interior Department fiMng for full funding for the public main rangelands under the 1976 BLM 'ganic Act and the Public Rangelands iprovement Act of 1978, Hastey said, e have been getting strong signals om tie Yates Subcommittee to incase in-case our rangelands budget." His fence to the House Interior Ap-opriations Ap-opriations Subcomittee chaired by ep. Sidney R. Yates, D-Ill. WHERE THE HIGHER FUNDS WILL GO ON BLM LANDS Here is where the $17,590,000 direct tfease for rangeland management w go in 1981, according to BLM U(iget officers: 8,780,000 for soil, water, and air ""igement to identify public land uses and secure the legal right to "at water thru filing for appropria-w appropria-w under the individual state procures pro-cures or determining federal reserve ' f existing statutes. In addi-l addi-l : funds will provide for com-elln com-elln of the San Simon watershed waoihtation program in Arizona. " '8.720,000 for developing on-the-1, a imProvement projects to imple-"e" imple-"e" .wildlife habitat management J in cooperation with state wildlife Wicies. w10,000 t0 Provide capability for wing excess wild horses and bur-Ma?6 bur-Ma?6 public lands for adoption. .. U1 also be available for conduc- fMrt?311 and studies t0 Prepare a ,io Congress in 1983 and to im- management techniques. USF8 PROGRAM are not ' rest Se" rangelands fiblicA,"1 8S P001" conditin as the irs Z?T mana8el by BLM, and . g;veD to tk Same Priority attention unalFn grazin8 la"ds in the Na-leve Na-leve i System at the Secretarial WL U'S- DePartment of land. as at Interior RE BLM i&r!gram wiU cut grazing by range fa, Unit months and reduce below imPrvements by 27 per-iress per-iress i on'goin8 levels, unless Con-Usrs Con-Usrs peases the 1981 budget for nlmal un t and management. An tora8e tor mnth (AUM) Provides ionth or if 26 one cow or horse for one "ve sheep or goats for one . month. The Forest Service has run into cost effectiveness in its rangeland budget, Cutler told the Society for Range Management on Feb. 12. "In the Forest Service's 1980 RPA (Resources Planning Plann-ing Act) program planning," Cutler stated, "no level of investment in rangeland management not even the lowest was deemed cost-effective in the intermountain region of Utah, Nevada and southern Idaho when justified solely on the basis of improved livestock production." All uses of the range must be factored in to build "a better case for range investments," he said. Use of the National Forest System range has been slowly going down as the sheep industry has decreased in this country, according to Robert S. Rum-mell, Rum-mell, USFS deputy director of range management. HIGHLIGHTS OF WESTERN COLORADO SEMINAR Washington (WRW) Here are the highlights of the seminar that Reps. James P. Johnson, R-Colo., and Ray Kogovsek, D-Colo., held for Western Coloradoans at the request of Club 20 an organization of the 20 Western Colorado Counties in the national capital on Feb. 27-28. APPEAL CALIFORNIA RARE II COURT DECISION: Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland said on Feb. 27 his Department will ask the Department Depart-ment of Justice to appeal a recent federal district court decision in California finding the U.S. Forest Service Ser-vice RARE II or second inventory of the National Forests for Wilderness areas defective on environmental grounds. USE-IT-OR-LOSE-IT: Bergland also stated the Agriculture Department has just completed a rural transportation study indicating that branch railroad lines should not be kept open unless farmers and ranchers use them. It's cheaper to truck farm produce up to 75 miles, the Agriculture Secretary said. Above 100 miles, it's cheaper to move farm products by rail, the study indicated, in-dicated, according to Bergland. WATER-FOR-ENERGY: Presidential Presiden-tial Assistant Stuart E. Eizenstat told Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., and three Western Coloradoans here on Feb. 28 he will ask the Interior Department to make a re-evaluation of several Western Colorado projects with an energy component included. Projects under discussion were the authorized Savery-Pot Hook and West Divide projects and the Yellow Jacket project, in the planning stage. All are Upper Colorado participating projects which could provide water for oil shale development. R. Dobie Langenkamp, a deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Energy on Feb. 27 predicted "a good sized oil-shale industry" could be developed in the Green River Formation Forma-tion in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming "without running up against a water problem." He said "water is a more immediate im-mediate problem in coal slurry pipelines" than it is in oil shale development. develop-ment. The Energy Department has no money to help energy companies or local water districts build storage dams, he stated. ANOTHER OIL SHALE STUDY NEARS COMPLETION; Jim Curlin, deputy assistant Secreatry of Interior, said on Feb. 27 another oil shale study will be completed by the Interior Department in April on the short-time and long-term impacts of leasing public lands for oil shale development. Only four public tracts are now under lease, two in Colorado, two in Utah. |