Smokecreek1
Smokecreek1
We all are too. I think this thread speaks to the core problem we have today of "trying to manage public, state and private lands to the satifaction of everyone and all interests" and of how that is a thankless and almost impossible task. Nature doesn't do its thing according to state or federal boundaries, I spent 30 years in BLM and no matter what we did someone hated us; yet we "managed(sometimes)" the land, the state(sometimes), the wild animals and the ranchers the water(sometimes), and oh yes, the "public" also has a say(sometimes)---and you wonder why we have problems out there. Our management system swings back and forth according to who has the money or politcal power at the time-part of the system. Wolves are good -they are bad. We used to be able to compromise and use the intent of the law to get things done, but "talking" with the enemy is no longer allowed it seems. Rant,Rant. No hijack here!
A good example (one of many) of how things work today: After 20 years of intense discussion, management and compromise, the bighorn sheep was reintroduced to the northern part of our area and thrived; while the southern part remained open to sheep grazing- thereby following the rule that bighorns and domestic sheep can never mix because one will infect the other. One day we noticed that a young male bighorn was running with a flock a sheep down south-months later, he was still there -not dead ,not infected and seemed to be doing quite fine. Hmmm. Maybe we could use this beast as bridge and help solve the problems between the two. "No said the state, "no" said the enviromentalists--so he was caught and taken away , and a possible solution to the problem removed because of political reasons-no compromise here-we'd rather fight. Lot's of other problems out there too! So what do we do? Rant, Rant!
On the site we have talked about these things many times and I hope we will continue to do so. We can disagree, but as long as we can talk, maybe we can figure out what to do and still use the land and it's resources. I had an old boss who-when it came to major public land decisions-would take all those with an interest in the area/problem and put them out in one of our field camps, leave them there with food and booze and his staff (our job was to answer any questions) until a compromise decision(s) was made. Maybe a to simple a solution-talk with the enemy! But, as we have said here before, if you don't stay involved with what goes on out there-what ever you believe in, the "there" maybe soon gone. Sorry off on my rants again.
Smoke
A good example (one of many) of how things work today: After 20 years of intense discussion, management and compromise, the bighorn sheep was reintroduced to the northern part of our area and thrived; while the southern part remained open to sheep grazing- thereby following the rule that bighorns and domestic sheep can never mix because one will infect the other. One day we noticed that a young male bighorn was running with a flock a sheep down south-months later, he was still there -not dead ,not infected and seemed to be doing quite fine. Hmmm. Maybe we could use this beast as bridge and help solve the problems between the two. "No said the state, "no" said the enviromentalists--so he was caught and taken away , and a possible solution to the problem removed because of political reasons-no compromise here-we'd rather fight. Lot's of other problems out there too! So what do we do? Rant, Rant!
On the site we have talked about these things many times and I hope we will continue to do so. We can disagree, but as long as we can talk, maybe we can figure out what to do and still use the land and it's resources. I had an old boss who-when it came to major public land decisions-would take all those with an interest in the area/problem and put them out in one of our field camps, leave them there with food and booze and his staff (our job was to answer any questions) until a compromise decision(s) was made. Maybe a to simple a solution-talk with the enemy! But, as we have said here before, if you don't stay involved with what goes on out there-what ever you believe in, the "there" maybe soon gone. Sorry off on my rants again.
Smoke