https://westernwatersheds.substack.com/p/the-rancher-who-loves-wolves
"There is a rancher in the American West who loves wolves. He coexists with
wolves on his ranches, and indeed has cooperated with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to reintroduce wolves on his own ranch properties. He sponsors
research into the ecology of wolves. Wolves occasionally take his livestock,
yet he does not shoot them, trap them, or poison them. Elk populations on his
ranches are so healthy and abundant on his ranches that they are a sought-after
destination for elk hunters. He does not call USDA Wildlife Services or a state
agricultural agency to have wolves gunned down from a helicopter. He takes
pride in the fact that having wolves on his ranch is a sign of ecological
health.
There is a rancher whose commitment to the health of the land runs deeper than
dishonest talking points. Who doesn’t overstock the range, destroying the
native bunchgrasses and inviting the invasion of flammable cheatgrass that
ruins wildlife habitat. Who raises native bison, animals that evolved with the
native ecosystems of the American West, instead of invasive cattle or sheep.
Bison that range onto steep slopes and graze far from water, spreading their
herbivory more gently across the land instead of concentrating along
streambanks and springs, grinding these ecological oases to dust.
There is a rancher who doesn’t persecute prairie dogs. Who doesn’t allow the
bloodsport of shooting at defenseless colonies, doesn’t spread poisoned oats,
doesn’t allow them to be gassed in their subterranean homes. Who offers a
refuge for prairie dogs live-trapped from other lands, helping to re-establish
on his private ranchlands this beating heart of the grassland ecosystem that
depends on prairie dogs to thrive. Who can enjoy the sight of burrowing owls,
mountain plovers, and swift foxes on his properties, native species that depend
on prairie dogs for habitat or food. Whose prairie dog colonies have hosted
reintroductions of the black-footed ferret, the rarest land mammal in North
America, and entirely dependent on prairie dogs to survive.
There is a rancher who runs a farm-to-table operation with his livestock,
bypassing the water contamination and disgusting conditions of feedlots, where
stock wallow hock-deep in their own feces as they are fattened for the
slaughterhouse. Who bypasses the meatpacking monopolies with their price-fixing
and consumer-gouging practices. Who provides a healthier product for his
customers than what’s available at the local grocery store. More and more
people are opting out of meat consumption, of course, but for those who
continue as omnivores, bison provide healthier food than the most organic
cattle operation.
There is a rancher who sets aside a portion of his profits to fund
environmental organizations. Whose generosity has helped a broad array of
environmental and conservation groups across the West, improving the management
of our public lands, and brought better outcomes for native wildlife. Who
started his own nonprofit that has helped with wolf reintroductions, prairie
dog conservation, and many other critical restoration efforts.
There is a rancher who, at one time, was once the largest private landowner in
the United States. He is still in the top ten, owning more than two million
acres of private property.
This rancher is a shining example of how ranching can actually be regenerative.
Sustainable. Ecologically responsible. That ranching can be accomplished on
private lands without wiping out the natural world, that food production can
align with nature rather than destroy it. That livestock operations need not
trash the land, decimate native wildlife, and poison native wildflowers, as
most ranchers do."
Via Susan ****
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
