Possible good news

For all of you who haven't commented on the Department of Labor's ridiculous proposed rules-- they may extend the deadline.  Many groups have been leaning on the DOL to make sure the public comment period is open for another 60-90 days. 

Just a reminder- the picture you see would be considered illegal under the new laws.  A small child, feeding hay, in a feedlot situation, not on a property owned by her parents!  The thought of such child abuse allowed to continue. 

Of course this one would be illegal also.  Riding on horseback and moving cows.  She wasn't even 16 months let alone the required 16 years.  Shocking isn't it!  Seriously, get your comments in.  Give rural kids the break they need to continue traditions, learn how to care for animals, and continue supplying food to the country.

Rick Perry for President?

Sounds like Rick Perry, Texas' governor is throwing his hat in the ring for President. I guess if a community organizer can do it so can a dryland farmer.

Dryland farmer does have some concepts that may make a good president.

1. When there is no water that means there is no production- No work, no economy, no paycheck.
2. He may understand the need to keep American farmers farming. Instead of importing food, it may be more important to use what we are producing.
3. He understands that you must use the land in order to perserve it for the next generation. Whether it is farming or drilling, we must use our natural resources so it doesn't cause desertfication.
4. Government subsidies are no cure for a bad weather year.

I may be too hopeful but at least we might, I repeat might have someone in our corner.

Randomness

There I times I run out of things to type. Not that I don't do things, it is just what do you put down on the World Wide Web for everyone to see?

Do I talk about the guy who wants to know if I can give technical support for his marajuana operation? That was interesting. He thinks it could be the new cash crop for this area. :(

Do I talk about the agency people who are so wrapped up in regulations and paperwork that they can not manage the lands and are degrading our natural resources because of it. Not to mention what the reduction of public lands grazing has done for the local economy and small rural communities.

Do I write about the conspiracy theories associated with Agenda 21 and Executive Order 13575 (Establishment of the White House Rural Council). Scary!

I think I will tell you a story that warmed my heart. We have a little horse show here with Working Cow Horse classes, cutting, and ranch rodeo type competitions. My daughter who will be two next month, gets out of the car, gets a huge grin on her face, and says "Papa me rope cows!" Now that warms my heart for a future!

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 things I do

I don't really like to talk about myself. If you notice most of the time, I talk about my husband or someone else. But I have a job that is interesting for the most part. I get to deal with everything from livestock to animals... OOPS I mean 4-H parents.

Lately, I have been dealing alot with federal agencies- specifically the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The people that run these agencies on any level are intelligent beings. Sometimes though, they outsmart their common sense.

Unfortunately, for people to move up through the food chain they have to transfer. In doing so, their is alot of knowledge lost. There is also some out of the box thinking. For example, the range con who collect the information on the last reissuances of forest permits is not usually, the program lead for the next reissuance 10 years later. So, it is almost like starting with a blank slate with only the data to back you up.

I don't know if this is good or bad. It is difficult to deal with a whole new senior staff Ican tell you that. They do not understand why we do it this way. Not necessarily, we have always done it this way but perhaps we have tried it other ways and this works the best.

Horse Gather

The Surprise BLM Field Office finally has a solid plan for a horse gather. I am impressed they are using all the tools in the box and outside of the box too. The Enivornmental Assessment is out and can be viewed at www.ca.blm.gov/345c

The plan is to gather 1100 plus horses from BLM and private properties in conjunction with gathering the neighboring field office to capture horses that are travelling between the two areas. Horses will be gathered to the low Herd Management Level. Mares that are gathered and released will be treated with fertility drugs. Additionally, they are using sex ratios to decrease herd growth.

This is finally a plan I can support. They are leaving some horses out there but not near the 500% increase over what they should be. Treating them so we are not in the same boat in a couple of years. In addition, the plan is to gather from outside the Herd Management Area on BLM property and private ground so they get ALL the horses!

Comments can be sent to: cahighrockcomplex@blm.gov

I wish you could go to the page and just hit the like button because it is a decent plan.