Federal Agitators, Idiots and a Rancher Advocate

I have been busy the last two days attending the US Farmer’s and Rancher’s Alliance (USFRA) meeting in Kansas City, so apologize for leaving you hanging.

As I stated in my first post I will be connecting dots: encounters, incidences and problems that brought me to the place of “agvocate”…the reasons I am adamant and relentless in educating my fellow animal ag producers. Today I'll attempt to make more connections, add some more pieces to the puzzle.

Let me introduce you to Jim Keen, award winning photographer and filmmaker who describes himself as a “California beach boy turned ranch spokesperson”.   We met Jim during his work on Great Ranches of the West in 2002.  Our ranch was one of the thirty he would feature.  Along the journey, Jim became a spokesperson for family ranchers. Following are several stories from the ranches he visited.  With each new ranch visit a common compelling story unfolded: government overreach was common resulting in costly lawsuits and outrageous regulations.  Jim finally came to the conclusion that ranchers need a spokesman.  He has since spent countless hours as a spokesperson for our country’s dying ranching heritage.  I’m sure Jim won’t mind a little plug---To purchase this great masterpiece go to About Keen Media and purchase your own copy (they make great gifts!)

When I heard Jim’s stories they fit snugly between the ones I was hearing from fellow cattle producers around the U.S.  Along with government overreach, animal activists and environmentalists were creating havoc to ranching operations.

Following are several quotes from this great book reflecting Jim’s thoughts.

“Towns are dying across rural America today. In 1993 there were nearly 900,000 cattle producing ranches in the country.  By 2004, that number had dropped to approximately 750,000.  When a ranch fails it has a ripple effect on its geographic area.  The next thing to go is the local hardware store, followed by other small family-run businesses and the local school.  Soon you have a modern day ghost town.

In addition, America’s strong, positive, agricultural trade balance is eroding. More and more food is coming from other countries and this growing trend has serious national security implications.  All of us experience the consequences of our country’s dependence on foreign oil, but how much more serious would our situation be if we had a similar dependence on foreign food sources.  “We, the people” ought to urge our elected officials and public servants to give due diligence to these matters.”

Following is a story from the Zz Cattle Corporation also known as the Bell Ranch from Arizona.

Some years ago a biologist discovered a small fish in one of the streams on the Bell property; The Sonora Chub is prevalent in Mexico but isn’t found anywhere north of the border except on the Bell Ranch.  Therefore the United States included the fish on its list of endangered species. “The government ordered the Bells To keep their cattle out of the stream and started building a substantial bridge over the water at great expense.  Most of the cost lay in the challenge of constructing the bridge in pieces off site and then hauling it to the ranch for placement so as not to disturb the fish’s habitat.

Dan bell is widely recognized in Arizona for his expertise in renewable natural resources.  He holds a degree in range management from the University of Arizona and cares passionately about preserving the environment of his family’s ranch.  So he advised the biologists and bridge design teams that if his cattle were not allowed to eat down the willow shoots around the stream, willow trees would flourish and soak up the limited flow of water, resulting in no stream and no more Sonora Chub.

He was right.  Today, several years later, I marveled at the stand of willow trees towering over the bridge on all sides---and there is no stream.

And another story from the Pine Creek Ranch in Nevada…

“A year after Wayne Sr., purchased Pine Creek Ranch (1978) there was a knock at the door---the U.S. Forest Service was calling to try to purchase the ranch and the water rights.  The price they offered was half what the Hages had just paid for it.  Wayne’s refusal to sell brought the full force of the government’s eminent-domain policies against Pine Creek Ranch.  But the bureaucrats had squared off with one tough cowboy.  Years of legal battles raged, and Wayne Hage’s meticulous research on the rights of property owners resulted in the unsettling account of the fight in his 1989 book, Storm Over Rangelands.  During the 90’s Wayne Sr. became one of the country’s leading advocates for private property rights.

“The physical and emotional impact on the Hage family however, was immense.  Some family members believe the stress contributed to Jean’s (Wayne’s wife) heart attack and early death.  In 1999, Wayne Sr. married Helen Chenoweth, a highly regarded congresswoman from Idaho.  Although he suffered from cancer, Wayne traveled the country with Helen to speak and advise on private property rights.  Just two months before my visit here to Pine creek, Wayne Hage Sr. succumbed to the disease.”

These are only two of the many, many stories that I would hear about over the years as I  visited and formed relationships with other ranching families.  Stories such as my friend in Washington state who had federal agents on their ranch threatening $10,000.00 a day fines over a water issue,  to a story of a young 7th generation ranch family working tirelessly to keep activists off of their property which had been "presumed" the habitat to some 50 plus endangered species. Environmentalists, animal activists and government officials had tried continually to get on their land and declare a sanctuary for endangered species.  The only thing keeping them from doing this was the state's "no trespassing law".  This young couple was bewildered, had been fighting the issue for the duration of their young married lives and had made repeated visits to D.C. to battle the issue.

Next time...More Friends, More Stories, More Dot Connecting. I will introduce you to my friend, Karen-Budd- Fallen an Ag Advocate with determination and drive and victories under her belt.