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Show Last Friday about fourteen people metto tour the Mineral Mountain crazing allotment. allot-ment. Representatives of Gam, Hatch and Marriott were on hand. The extension service was represented on both the county and state level. The Forest Service, Desert Range Experiment Station, BLM, Phillips Petroleum and the Beaver County News made up the rest of the contingent. Hardly had we made the first stop when BLM apologized for their being no permittees per-mittees (cattlemen) on hand, stating thev were Invited. The implication was that the people most concerned with the condition of the range didn't care enough to participate par-ticipate in the tour and take part in the evaluation of the grazing allotment. Continued questioning by those present j finally brought out that BLM had in fact only invited the president of the 44 permittee per-mittee association. He either did not get the letter, did not read it or for other reasons did not or could not attend. BLM was chastized quite sharply for not opening a. better line of communication, inviting all permittees, and making certain that the cattlemen were represented. Still, no matter how you cut it, notifying no-tifying the president of the association should have been enough.' He should have notified no-tified the other permittees, and if unable to attend, should have made certain that others were in attendance. In the cattlemen's defense, the tour did come in the middle of 3rd cutting of alfalfa. al-falfa. They are undoubtedly busy and there was no attempt by BLM to coordinate a ! date that suited the cattleman. However, the purpose of the tour would seem to this writer to take precedence over everything else. The range is in deplorable condition, due largely to the drought. BLM wants to begin a rest rotation program, that was agreed upon in '72-'73 by BLM and the permittees. The condition of the range would seem to make that impossible. In fact, unless a drastic reduction in AUMs is effected, it's likely that irreparable damage dam-age will be done to the range, forcing complete com-plete closure of the allotment. New grazing regulations released July 8, 1977 charge BLM with working out a grazing program in cooperation with the permittees to maintain, preserve, and improve im-prove the grazing allotment. The key word here is "in cooperation". However, if the permittees do not agree, or for other reasons, an equitable plan is not worked out, BLM has the authority to institute their plan. Because those present insisted that BLM had in fact not set up a sufficient line of communication with the cattlemen, it is likely that the permittees will have another opportunity. Let's hope that BLM will not again face other agencies and individuals, in-dividuals, asking, "Where are the cattlemen?" cat-tlemen?" It's often stated that, "we ask for most of our problems." Far too many are willing to set back and let "big brother" do it. Then when things aren't just as you want them scream that the bureaucrats jammedit down your throat. Most rules and regulations provide for some input from the affected parties. Like it or not, we must insist upon having our input even when it is inconvenient we must participate! Never can we allow the agency to say, "Where are the cattlemen?" cat-tlemen?" "Red" |