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Show ON THE While these ranchers are a minority and no rancher has a sacred right to use our public RECORD lands for their private economic gain, | also think that describing "cowboys" as a group that has "an utter disregard for the land" makes about as much sense as claiming that "environmentalists" only care about the recreational value of wilderness. Such blanket statements don’t reflect reality and they can be counter-productive to making meaningful progress on the issue. (continued) Larry Young is SUWA’s Executive Director. LARRY YOUNG, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) has long fought against environmentally destructive and economically wasteful rangeland policies on our public lands. At the same time, we have not taken a position in support of a complete ban of private ranching on public lands. Grazing should be managed so that the ecological health of the nation’s rangeland is protected and restored. This means using scientific criteria to assess whether various areas are capable of sustaining lifestock grazing without harming or displacing cultural and paleontological resources, fragile soil, native plants, critical wildlife habitat, and vulnerable riparian resources. All too often, the BLM fails to take these other resources into account. Notwithstanding our finite resources and the attention we give to oil and gas developments, ORV abuse, and other threats to wilderness quality lands, SUWA has and will continue to challenge BLM’s renewals of some grazing permits and BLM's management of grazing in some areas. If we had unlimited resources, we would challenge the BLM far more often. : We're also not fans of welfare ranching where the American public props-up a narrow special interest at the frequent cost of healthy wilderness ecosystems, In this regard, we have fought excessive government subsidizes for public lands ranching ‘and argued that if there is going to be public lands ranching it must pay its own way. During the early part of President Clinton‘s first term, we joined forces with other conservation groups and THE ZEPHYR GALLERY FEATURING JOHN DEPUY I NOW ON-LINE. PURCHASE DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTIST. WWW.CANYONCOLINTRYZEPHYR.COM fought hard for meaningful reform. Unfortunately, the Administration caved to pressure from the pro-grazing community and failed to implement meaningful reform that would have mandated ecologically sound and economically fair pubic lands ranching. We see no justification for favoring welfare ranching over other sectors of the cack economy. To the extent that the federal government invests in rural economic development, we believe other forms of economic development are at least as deserving of investment---and are much more deserving if such investments bring with them less environmental damage and benefit a broader range of individuals in rural communities. We also support the efforts of groups like the Grand Canyon Trust to buy and retire grazing permits. To date, some 600,000 acres of public lands in Utah have been voluntarily retired from grazing. To view such efforts as having "marginal ecological value" ignores the positive impact of having 600,000 acres of cow-free land-—these efforts don’ t tesolve the issue, but they are more a cause for celebration than criticism. Finally, we also work cooperatively with some ranchers on issues of common interest. For example, some ranchers hate ORV abuse as much as we do--and together we can be more effective in forcing the BLM to do a better job in managing the ORV problem. Like most readers of the Zephyr, I know ranchers who have voluntarily cutback grazing because they are concerned about the overall well being of the rangeland they graze. Hell, I even know ranchers who support wilderness designation for the same lands SUWA is an advocate for. AND LOOK FOR (KS m having a Meet me at £DDIE Restaurant Jatnes Bond moment. | LINK TO: AND AN EXPANDED COLLECTION OF HIS HUTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, IN BRILLIANT COLOR Moab’s Oldest Legal Brewery! ya) McStiff’s.. THE HOMEPAGE HERB RINGER Orrice Equipment Company COMPLETEOFFICEOUTFITTERS FI: PICSTIFF S &; Microbrewery 57 S. MAIN in the WESTERN PLAZA The Tiffany's of Moab Brew Pubs 259-BEER 575 &. Kane Creek Blvd. Moab, 259.5575 FAX: 259.5594 UT Verizon Cellular Phone Service * Supplies * Furniture * Calculators Cash Registers & Copiers * Typewriters & Computers * Networking Software * Scrapbooking The People at Moab's Best & First Bike Shop don't rest on their laurels, we rest on our asses. Moab's FIRST & BEST Bike Shop 94 W. 100 North 259.5333 rimcyclery.com |