"Cattle-Free by 2003?"=20

Or, is it more appropriate to manage the vegetation appropriately?

One camp holds that, because current or past practices have had abuse, =
all such uses should be shut down. I respectfully disagree. Grazing on =
public lands is done for several reasons. On wildlife refuges, where =
wildlife is the primary use, grazing should be used as a tool for a =
specific management goal. Inappropriate grazing should not be allowed =
on any public lands, IMO. Historical grazing abuse at Malheur NWR is =
usually used as the damnation of all cattle grazing by the savants.

However, I look at the habitat 'management' on Nisqually NWR, or any of =
the 3 Willamette Valley NWRs in Oregon. The former pastures ('improved' =
or semi-native), which used to provide waterfowl winter feed as well as =
grassland sparrow, meadowlark and short-eared owl nesting habitats, have =
been allowed to continue in their succession. Instead of =
grassland/pasture habitats, the wildlife has been provided second-growth =
Himalaya Blackberry and other brush (alder/willow at Nisqually; poison =
oak/Douglas hawthorn at Finley/Ankeny/Baskett Slough). =20

Now, I have nothing against providing Song Sparrow habitat, but let's =
use some common sense. The Feds haven't the budget on their field =
stations to manage their wildlife habitat, so the wildlife loses out =
because of the prevailing attitude of "cows are bad"; no livestock can =
be allowed. If we want productive wetland habitat at Nisqually, it =
makes little sense to let it grow up to alder thicket. If we want =
grassland habitat in the Willamette Valley, we're losing it. And, it's =
expensive to restore - field burning isn't PC in the Valley, impossible =
at Nisqually, and you'd need a 'dozer and blade to re-habilitate some of =
the wetlands that have brushed-up!

Ankeny NWR was my back yard when I was growing up, and later as a =
budding biologist. The few wet pastures where I could once find =
Ladies-tresses orchids (Spiranthes romanzoffiana) are now mediocre =
winter sparrow brushy blackberry habitat - in an area where winter =
sparrow habitat is not necessarily of concern. Is summer grazing so bad =
in that light? The anti-cow folks say Yes. I doubt that it's that =
simple.

Dang, there I go again.... Not spouting the Party Line. :-)

Jon. - Don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys - Anderson
Olympia, WA
festuca at olywa.net

----------
From: brian sharp[SMTP:ecopers at teleport.com]
Sent: Friday, February 09, 1996 6:22 PM
To: Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney
Cc: 'tweeters at u.washington.edu'; 'obol at gaia.ucs.orst.edu'
Subject: Re: Wildlife Monograph No 131 (Duck Nesting)

sounds like they ought to get the cows off the refuge. But of course=20
that won't happen. all but 2 of the national wildlife refuges in the=20
prairie states are grazed, I read in Manning's book "Grasslands".

Brian Sharp
2234 NE 9th Av
Portland, Or 97212
503-287-6501
ecopers at teleport.COM