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Ideologically extreme groups...

How about a measure passed overwhelmingly to ban the United Nations?

Or

Passing a measure to allow arrest of Forest Service employees by citizens.

Passing a measure saying citizens can log federal lands.

County government giving money to the sagebrush rebellion in Nevada.

Blowing up a composting toilet at a Forest Service Campground.  Death Threats against the local US Forest Service Supervisor and his family causing them to be moved.

These are the things that encourage a hate group to think they would be welcome.

I am so happy to see the county unite against hate like we have never united before.  We have in the last year started making some progress on working through our issues, but still have a ways to go.   Lets build on the united front against a racist hate and make this a even better place.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Jmyoung has some good points about how grazing could continue.  However so much damage has been done that grazing impacts other multiple use objectives.

an example would be that due to sediment and fish you can graze or you can harvest timber, but not both.

Buying out allotments is the cheapest and best solution for the next decade or longer

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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Grazing - the third rail of Forest Service Politics.  Grazing is perhaps the most destructive practice of land management.  As a 35 year veteran of federal land management in grant county I can think of no other activity that has a greater impact on fire, soils and water.

I have worked all over the Western US and the conditions on the Malheur are as bad as any I have seen.  Other Forests have gotten the message and conditions are improving, but not on the Malheur.

Grant County is definetly cattle country yet less than 20% of all ranchers use public allotments.

In fact I maintained the fences for the horse trap above murderers creek 35 years ago while a employee of BLM.  You can go just north of this area to the John Day Fossil Beds and see what 30 years of not grazing cattle looks like (elk of course use it for winter forage).

Grazing of domestic livestock disrupted the pre historic fire regime.  From records collected from tree rings we can see that starting in 1868 fires started getting smaller in the pine regions.  These areas burned completely (low intensity grass) on average every 8 years.  This was altered by the removal of fine grass fuel due to grazing.  Grazing also allowed shade tolerant tree species to get a foothold as native grasses  burned and killed these species.  I have much more to say and more research to share.  But will finish by saying... How did such a small group get so much power that Forest Supervisors and Oregon's congressional delegation fear them so much?

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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