Range Ride

Spent two days on the forest with the range ride. I learned ALOT!

1. I am not tolerant of adults who think riding should be a natural ability along the lines of breathing.
2. Some people were not raised with the same etiquette and rules I was.
3. ___ologists are all trained to talk in circles and never give a definitive answer.
4. Just because a place has garden in its name doesn't mean it is lush and green all over.

More than anything I just hope something became of it. About 2/3 of the acreage in the county is under federal ownership. Most of which is juniper infested range land good for producing protien but not much else.

We discussed the issues of NEPA or the National Environmental Protection Act and how it hamstrings many projects. This is especially true when you have certain personalities in specialist positions within federal agencies. Archeology is a problem with many areas of the forest. It isn't that the land users do not want to protect the major sites- burial grounds, major camps, or those of historic interest. It is the interpetation of lithic scatter that is causing slow downs. Lithic scatter is trash to most. It is what is left after the chipped out the arrow heads, spear heads etc.

So, protecting trash rocks has taken precedent over protect a food source and the largest segment of the economy. Sad.

The article came out.

Awhile back I wrote about talking to a reporter. The article came out~ guess what? She didn't use anything in our interview only a quick question from a meeting I was running. GRRR... She portrayed me as a horse hater. All I asked was if the water was privately owned on the allottments which horses were present is the BLM capable of zeroing out that area and moving the horses. She got the part about zeroing out the herd. That was it. I wish I had some reprecussions but the good news is~ I have been biding my time and the public is speaking out against the reporter and her whimsical articles.

I don't think the editor is going to stop printing her articles because they sell papers. On another note, there has not been one letter to the editor supporting the reporters stories. Guess, it shows what a little emotion and some science can do. Hopefully, we have convinced some people on the fence that horses need to be managed like other livestock.

Smith-Lever Funding on the Table

Were you a 4-H member? How about part of the Master Gardener program? Ever called your local extension agent? Or searched the internet on basic animal questions? Well, the federal funding for these programs is on the table. The Smith-Lever funding is the federal match to state and local funding sources for Extension Service.

It is sad that Congress would even consider cutting such a valuable program that helps take research and scientific data back to producers, consumers, and kids alike. This funding has been in effect since, 1914. The original act was to "aid in diffusing among the people practical and useful information on agriculture and home economics alike." This has since been amended to "to enable people to improve their lives and communities alike through learning parternerships and put knowledge to work".

It is a big mission statement but extension educators all across the country to try to improve peoples' lives and communities through their knowledge and disseminating practical research. If you agree that exentsion is a viable part of the community~ send a letter to your Congressmen and women.