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Dear Dr. Lockeretz,
I am not sure how to post to the sanet, so I
thought I would just question some of your reasoning on grazing bidding
to you personally. As a native Minnesotan now living in Wyoming for the last
5 years, I too am constantly struck by the inconsistency in ranchers' reasoning
(but also true of farmers back East and I am sure most of us really). Many
Westerners seem to hate anything related to the federal government out here
yet are able to rationalize federal subsidies all of sorts for the timber,
mining and ranching industries. To some extent I think they convince themselves
that grazing subsidies really don't exist. But I don't think you can support
setting aside farmland at certain agricultural tax values (which I personally
do) and then not support holding prices on grazing land leases at some value
that will continue to support ranching (unless you see the conversion of native
forests and grasslands into fields of corn, etc. as less environmentally
damaging than grazing on arid lands). What I am saying is that although I
consider myself a strong environmentalist and do not appreciate the hard-nosed
tactics of the Sage Brush rebellion and wise use advocates, I do not want to
see family ranchers going out of business anymore than to see Midwestern
farmers lose their farms. While setting aside some areas for local
educational, scientific and recreational purposes would be great in my book,
there is the potential for enough people with money from the east and west
coasts to "rent" their little piece of paradise in the Rockies for their
private hunting, fishing, camping, to put some ranchers out of business.
I agree that the way some of these folks talk the "free market",
"get government off my back" talk, they should be willing to walk the walk,
but to take a "you got your just desserts" attitude is certainly not going to
get most of where we want to be. It is much more valuable to support the
ranchers and environmentalists who are trying to make the local resource users
groups out here work, so we can protect riparian areas (and other native
ecosystems) and keep families in the ranching business. If you know how to
post this to the net, you are welcome to. Thanks.
Deb Paulson
Department of Geography and Recreation
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY 82071
debp@uwyo.edu