Dear HCN,
The articles about the
Trout Creek Mountains in the March 1 edition of High Country News
overlooked a key player, the American taxpayer (HCN, 3/1/99). The
Bureau of Land Management addressed this effort as a “must not be
allowed to fail” demonstration grazing project. Funding was
redirected to the tune of about $500 per Animal Unit Month to keep
cows on the east side of the mountain (managed by Vale BLM
District), and approaching $200 per AUM on the west side (managed
by Burns BLM District).
How do I know? I was
managing BLM’s rangeland budget for Oregon at the
time.
It is a matter for speculation as to
whether the Trout Creeks effort could have achieved similar results
while retaining grazing without this massive public funding, but
such large infusions of funds should not be expected with other
grazing projects. The only justification for such disproportionate
outlays of public funds to salvage a private use was the
demonstration nature of the effort.
You will be
able to judge whether the Trout Creeks effort was a lasting success
or not in 15 or 20 years, when attention has faded, old ways have
had an opportunity to resurface and monthly “show me” tours are no
longer leaving more footprints than hoofprints on the
mountain.
Larry
Walker
Beaverton,
Oregon
Larry Walker is a
retired Bureau of Land Management range
conservationist.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Expensive cows.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
