Dear List Members --

Recently a posting I put on the ornithological listserver was forwarded to
this listserver. It had to do with habitat protection, specifically the
situation regarding sage grouse and the management of grazed public lands.

I would like to explain why and how I became interested in this issue, and
if anyone has questions on my original posting, I am happy to try to answer
them. I do not intend to remain on this listserver for a great length of
time, but for a short time in case my original postings caused any questions
or response I should reply to.

I got interested in the plight of sage grouse because I am a falconer, and
the North American Falconers Association began an endeavor to try to restore
sage grouse populations without resorting to the Endangered Species Act. I
do not live in the range of the sage grouse, but I have visited parts of
Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah where sage grouse live and I wanted to do what I
could to help conserve them.

I felt it very important to learn all I could about the species, and started
reviewing the popular and the scientific literature. I found out that sage
grouse are in severe decline and also started to read some of the
conservation plans that have been developed to protect them. And I started
to contact by phone or email various sage grouse experts in order to get my
questions answered. For instance, Dr. Clait Braun (formerly of the Colorado
Division of Wildlife) wrote a very important paper in 1998 entitled "Sage
Grouse Declines in Western North America: What Are the Problems?" This
paper documented the decline and the multitude of factors causing it.

During the course of this research I also began to ask myself: "Why are the
conditions that cause the decline present?" In other words, if sage grouse
need sage brush, forbs and insects, and they live on the public range in 80%
of the species range, why are those conditions not present for them? I
began to learn about range management and grazing management, in particular.
I came across range activists of all flavors. I made it a point to
identify myself as a person who is not a vegetarian, and who has no bias
against cattle or against consumption of beef. I grew up in Texas, where
both my grandfathers raised calves and I always loved a good steak,
hamburgers, and other forms of beef in my diet.

But, I became exposed to statistics and documented evidence regarding the
damage done by grazing, particularly on the public lands of the West. I
have always cared about nature and conservation of wild species and habitat,
and I was shocked to find out how the grazing industry has been able to
manipulate their own regulators via their political clout. I also reallized
that most ranchers in our day and time have never seen a truly healthy
range, because so much damage was done before the Taylor Grazing Act in the
1930's. The Taylor Grazing Act did make some difference in that somewhat
reduced numbers of livestock were allowed on the public range. But the fact
remains that the arid West is not evolutionarily able to support large
numbers of cattle with continued land and plant health and native
biodiversity.

Many of the issues that I learned about were well-recognized way back in the
1920's and 1930's by Aldo Leopold, and the public was no better at accepting
and implementing his concepts of land health and the ethics of land
management that we are today. As a result, we have a growing number of
endangered species of birds, mammals, plants, amphibians, etc.

So, I did not start out with the concern I now have over range management
and its effects on birds. But my gradual self-education on the plight of
sage grouse led me to this point. Because of the long history of this
damage, and the political clout of the monied interests involved, and the
lack of awareness of the public, I have found it worthwhile to try to share
some of the things I have learned.
I believe it is possible to make a difference. There is a growing awareness
nationally of these issues. Many local and state Sierra Club chapters have
voted affirmatively on resolutions to permanently end public lands grazing,
for instance.

There is room for various points of view in this debate. But I believe that
the more educated one becomes, the more intense their desire is likely to
become in better grazing management, if not absolute banning of grazing on
the arid public lands of the west.

Another great resource for anyone to read is "Birds In A Sagebrush Sea --
Managing Sagebrush Habitats for Bird Communities", by Christine Paige and
Sharon A Ritter published in 1999 by Partners in Flight, Western Working
Group and available from IDFG (Idaho Fish and Game Dept.) Non-game Program,
P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID 83707-0025 (208)
334-2920 This fine brochure focues on birds, not cattle, but it does
point out how overgrazing can affect bird habitat and bird communities.



Stan Moore San Geronimo, CA hawkman11 at hotmail.com
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