Steve,

Aren't we supposed to put cute little smiley-face icons at the end of the
message when we are making cynical comments? ;-)

In spite of many people's well-known disdain for any aspects of rangeland
uses other than to leave it "for the birds", I would like to point out
that many of the professional range managers I know join organizations
such as the Society for Range Management *because* of the emphasis this
society places on ALL aspects of rangeland management - fish and
wildlife, riparian protection and restoration, public use (birders
included), as well as livestock. I don't wish to start a long-winded
off-topic thread on the merits of and against grazing on the public
lands, but I would like to defend the range management profession as well
as the SRM.

This professional society is one of the few natural resource groups I am
aware of that is inclusive of academics, field managers, resource
biologists, and private-sector landowners. Steve, it might surprise you
to find out what can be accomplished by discussion and consensus, rather
than by adversarial confrontation.... Look at the success stories of
range and riparian restoration, and use them as models to clean up some
of the many other messes we have to contend with. Rock Creek in Oregon's
Gilliam County is a good example of how ranchers, farmers, agency folks,
Trout Unlimited types, etc worked together to restore a stream. It
didn't even flow year-round into the John Day in 1984, and now it has
steelhead returning (and chinook?). I can only assume that an improved
riparian situation also benefitted the flycatchers and yellow warblers -
such has been documented at Malheur NWR, Oregon over the past 20 years of
riparian healing.

Our bird, fish and other wildlife resources depend upon the presence of
healthy habitat. The efforts of all user groups to improve those
habitats is needed to effect any change in some habitats that are, sadly,
presently and historically over-used or mis-managed. This is true from
the efforts to bring Ravenna Creek above ground in Seattle to restoring
over-grazed streambanks in southeastern Oregon... We don't get things
done any easier or quicker by alienating 'Cowboys' from our perspectives
in our efforts to improve range management and range condition than we
would by alienating homeowners, Metro officials and University Village
mall managers in our efforts to 'fix' Ravenna Creek.

"You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar"
Ruth Kress Anderson, 1889-1987

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, WA
anderjda at dfw.wa.gov


On Wed, 18 Oct 1995, Steven G. Herman wrote:

> Jon Anderson is to be thanked for making us all aware of the bird
> emphases at the upcoming Society for Range Management meeting, but he
> omitted a couple of paper titles:
>
> "Maximizing cow-calf range utilization in Southeastern Oregon;
> the bonus effect of Horned Lark habitat enhancement", A.U.M.
> Hereford, Oregon State University.
>
> "Simplifying the task of counting Sharp-tailed Grouse on leks in
> Eastern Washington; results of a cooperative study by the Washington
> Cattlemens' Association and the Washington Department of Fish &
> Wildlife". Multiple authors.
>