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Home on the Range: Not What it Used to Be Proponents of the beef industry argue that cattle open-ranging on public land has been around since white settlers began trekking westward across the country. They claim it is a long-standing tradition, and use this excuse as validation for farming a foreign species, destroying our prairies, and slaughtering our native predators. Background Longhorn cattle, a non-native species introduced in Texas by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s, became a prolific population in a short amount of time. These cattle became so populous in Texas by the early 1900s that cowboys began selling them to other states, moving herds across the West. Most ranches at the time utilized the Spanish style of open-ranging to raise their cattle. During this time, authorities did not regulate cattle grazing on public land. It was not until 1934 that the government took notice of the damage overgrazing causes to the soil and environment. The Taylor Grazing Act was enacted in 1934, and attempted to regulate grazing on federal public lands by establishing grazing districts, using a permit system, and imposing fees for each district. Not only was this a way for the government to keep track of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands, but it also required a study of erosion and flood control, and protection and rehabilitation of eroding land. BLM did not exercise its authority to rehabilitate the land at that time. In 1976, Congress passed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, requiring all permits to include allotment-management plans, ensuring that each district had a land management plan. In 1978, Congress passed the Public Rangelands Improvement Act, establishing a formula to determine federal grazing fees. However, BLM continued to fail to control the ecological damage caused by overgrazing. Because of this, the impacts of intensive grazing in the West continue to be substantial today. Impact on Ecosystems The very land under which open-range cattle are raised is eroding beneath them, devastating native vegetation, deteriorating water quality, and drastically declining native wildlife populations. Unlike native species of deer and elk, cattle do not roam as they graze. The herd will stay in one location until all grasses are consumed before moving on. Many native vegetative species are unable to recover, and have vanished from the West. In fact, even vegetation not consumed by cattle is put at risk by intensive grazing, because the soil is more exposed to the sun with the tall grasses removed, causing water to evaporate faster. Non-consumed vegetation becomes dehydrated and dies. Soil exposure caused by overgrazing is also responsible for the decline in water quality in western streams and rivers. Like native species, cattle are drawn to riparian areas, or the lush grasses surrounding water sources, for nourishment. The banks of these streams and rivers become trampled and collapse into the water, increasing sediment loads and causing channels to widen. The sun-bleached, exposed soil, lack of vegetation around water sources, and increased nitrogen levels from manure increase water temperatures, reduce oxygen levels, and contribute to the decline of native fish and amphibian populations. These animals play a vital role in their ecosystems. Open-range ranching clearly harms local habitats and undermines larger ecosystems vital to native wildlife. Impact on Wildlife Not only riparian life is suffering at the expense of open-range cattle grazing. Native animals competing for similar foods, such as bison, elk, sheep, deer, and antelope are suffering declining populations because of the way cattle leave no vegetation in their wake. Vegetation loss also contributes to declining populations because there are fewer places for animals to hide when being pursued by predators. Also, because there are fewer places for native animals to build their homes, species of birds have been disappearing from the West. These are not only western birds, but any species of bird that migrates through these areas. Predatory Animals Wildlife is affected indirectly by overgrazing, yet it is affected directly by ranchers slaughtering tens of thousands of predatory animals each year on public lands to keep their herds “safe.” A large portion of the massacring on lands that are supposed to be natural is federally funded! Taxpayer dollars are paying to hunt coyotes, wolves, foxes, bears, and mountain lions, and slaughter them in horrendous ways. These creatures are chased and shot from the air in helicopters, they are trapped and killed, and they are poisoned. Some ranchers and government officials even practice “denning,” which entails filling a den containing newborn pups with poisonous gas to effectively kill the animals before they have the chance to grow up to be predators. These extreme measures are validated by ranchers and the government because of the “us or them” mentality adopted by the majority of the beef industry. Many people believe all predatory animals should be eliminated because they have the potential to harm livestock. It does not seem to matter that many notable studies have shown that the leading cause of death among livestock has consistently been respiratory problems, closely followed by the secondary cause of death among livestock: digestive problems. The third? Calving complications. In fact, when causes of cattle loss is examined as a whole, predation is a small portion. What ranchers and the government are not paying attention to are the studies that show slaughtering predatory animals such as coyotes only causes numbers to increase. These animals have the ability to increase reproduction when the population begins to decrease, causing numbers to skyrocket. Killing predatory animals only temporarily alleviates the perceived problem, ultimately exacerbating the issue. “Nuisance” Animals Predators are not the only animals affected by open-range cattle ranchers. “Nuisance” animals, such as prairie dogs, birds, squirrels, raccoons, ferrets, and wild horses and buffalo are also being slaughtered to protect livestock. Some of these animals, such as birds and squirrels, are killed with the intention of eliminating the chance they could spread disease. Animals who burrow, like prairie dogs and ferrets are being eliminated in the west because ranchers are worried their cattle might injure themselves by stepping in a hole. Still others, such as wild horses and bison are being killed because ranchers are concerned about competition for food. Take Action Mass farming of cattle is not only cruel to the cattle and supports a very inhumane industry, but it is also clearly environmentally destructive and causes severe harm to wildlife. NHES feels open-range ranching needs to stop while western America still has a slim chance of recuperating. Help put an end to this, or the West will never be the same as it once was. Native species will eventually become extinct, water sources will dry up and the land will become barren and arid. Contact you congressperson and respectfully ask that he/she pass legislation to keep cattle ranchers on privately-owned lands, and allow the nation’s native animals to enjoy their ever-decreasing safe havens in peace. Sources: www.attra.ncat.org www.earthjustice.org www.hsus.org www.mindfully.org https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu www.thebeckoning.com |
