The politics of Disaster
Rep. Simpson Seeks Special Grazing For Fire-Riddled Idaho
By Brodie Farquhar, 10-22-07
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Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, is the leader of a bi-partisan group of 40 House members seeking extra wildfire and drought disaster help from the House Appropriations Committee. But Simpson has also made some dramatic suggestions about grazing policies for public lands that run counter to modern grazing and wildfire science.
He’s joined in a straightforward disaster assistance effort by 39 congressmen and women from neighboring states, such as Barbara Cubin, R-Wyoming, Dennis Rehberg, R-Montana, Stephanie Sandlin, D-South Dakota and John Salazar, D-Colorado. The coalition asked for extensions on livestock and crop disaster aid programs, to accommodate growers who’ve been hammered by this summer’s drought and wildfires.
Yet Simpson has gone much further, asking the Committee in a September letter to consider provisions that would allow ranchers (PDF) to better utilize grazing lands unaffected by fires and a provision that would ensure cattle were allowed back on some fire-impacted lands as early as next year, rather than giving the range a two-year rest. In addition, Simpson alerted the Committee to his desire to explore the possibility of promoting a pilot program on some fire-impacted Idaho lands that would permit the use of grazing as a fuels reduction management tool in the rehabilitation toolbox.
Simpson also recommended the use of non-native grass species on wildfire rehab projects, to aid livestock grazers.
“I firmly believe the federal government should consider a pilot project on certain federal lands impacted by this year’s wildfires,” wrote Simpson. “In Idaho, there are considerable lands that would be perfect candidates for a pilot program whose primary function is to investigate the value of grazing as a management tool for fuels reduction on federally-owned lands…
“There is simply no doubt in my mind that the buildup of fuels on both forest land and range land contributed to the devastating nature of some of these fires. Therefore, I believe we need to quickly move to ensure grazing and forest health management practices are utilized effectively by public land managers to minimize the occurrence of catastrophic fires in the future,” he wrote.
Simpson has several key allies in this venture to change grazing practices in the name of fuels reduction on federally-owned lands.
One is Idaho Governor “Butch” Otter, who has created a statewide wildfire rehabilitation committee. The other is Idaho Bureau of Land Management Director Dyer, who also has a working group to evaluate the interplay between livestock grazing, fuel and fire effects. Both committees are looking at cattle grazing as a way to reduce fuel loads.
What’s at the root of all this activity, speculates Jon Marvel, executive director of the Western Watersheds conservation group, is an intense wildfire season for Idaho – over two million acres burned, including the giant, 600,000-acre Murphy Complex fire on BLM lands.
According to Marvel, the top grazing permitees who were impacted by the Murphy Complex fires are ag-giant Simplot and the Brackett brothers – Bert Brackett, of Rogerson, is a Republican representative for District 23, House Seat B, which includes all of Owyhee County and parts of Twin Falls County.
On the op/ed pages of the Idaho Statesman, Brackett and Marvel battled over whether grazing could lower the wildfire fuel load, with Brackett blaming Marvel for some of the season’s fires and Marvel insisting that “There is no scientific evidence that cattle or sheep grazing prevents fires at any time.”
Bobby McEnaney, a grazing specialist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Simpson and his allies have simply borrowed a page from the timber industry, which maintains that logging is a tool for reducing fuel loads in national forests.
“This is a real step backwards, catering to the good ol’ boys,” said McEnaney.
McEnaney doubts Rep. Simpson will get far with his grazing proposals on the Hill, which is much more focused on finding creative solutions to the nation’s energy crisis.
Writer George Wuerthner thinks Simpson’s proposals to change grazing policies are bad ideas. Wuerthner is editor of “Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy,” published this summer by Island Press. (Full disclosure: He also writes an occasional guest column in NewWest.Net.)
Wuerthner said allowing livestock on burnt ranges in the spring, would be disastrous for native grasses. After a fire, plants regrow lost material, he said. Cool season plants pack away their energy reserves in the spring and fall. “Spring grazing hurts their ability to recover from wildfire,” Wuerthner said.
As for using grazing to reduce fuel loads, Wuerthner said that works only if you graze plants right down to the nub, which destroys any forage value for wildlife. “In years with extreme drought and high winds, unless you eliminate all fuels, wildfire will jump all barriers, including roads,” he said. “I don’t doubt that severe grazing reduces fuels, but why do it?”
here's a youtube of the whole fiasco between craig & otter about the murphy complex & 'grazing as fuels reduction':
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uB3b0pMbHYw
it looks like craig is helping otter out with the language... simpson is just picking up where craig left off.
"Simpson is just picking up where Craig left off." Now that conjures up some truly disgusting pictures! You might also like this article...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101643.html?nav=hcmodule⊂=new
It covers another of Larry Craig's fellow "family values conservatives" and how his private life also does not match practically anything that he was supposed to stand for.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101643.html?nav=hcmodule⊂=new
Perhaps a more accurate headline would be "livestock-riddled Idaho" (rather than fire-riddled?). How many cattle died in the range fires compared to the losses blamed on predators in the area of the Murphy Fire Complex - does anyone know?
Comment By begreen, 10-23-07i don't know the number of cattle lost to the murphy complex --- i do know that there were several that died right next to gates that would have assured escape into area not burned had a rider or producer been around to open the gate. one cow was tangled up in the fence trying to escape not 20 yards from a closed gate.
Comment By Tim Seipel, 10-23-07this is the same old tune of overgrazing range land "improving" the range which leads to more noxious weeds and less natives that are better adapted to drought. this rep has poor stewardship policy poor undrstanding of the natural area he represents. nothing more than an uninformed ignorant washington politician
Comment By cs, 10-25-07Brodie... I must be missing something in the story your wrote; perhaps an editor took it out. You say that Jon Marvel and a rancher are arguing over "whether grazing could lower the wildfire fuel load, with Brackett blaming Marvel for some of the season’s fires and Marvel insisting that “There is no scientific evidence that cattle or sheep grazing prevents fires at any time.” So the BLM State Director asks a "working group to evaluate the interplay between livestock grazing, fuel and fire effects." I happen to know the scientists on that group; there are ecologists, fire behaviorists and livestock specialists. I am told they have not even finished investigating the circumstances of the fires in Idaho much less come to a conclusion. So, how did you get the information that they are "looking at cattle grazing as a way to reduce fuel loads?" And how does that make someone trying to get an informed perspective on the debate an ally in "this venture to change grazing practices in the name of fuels reduction on federally-owned lands?" Again, this just doesn't jive with what I have heard so could you elaborate, please? Thank you. CS
Comment By Erik S., 10-26-07Nice article, I personally feel that many of the comments made up to this point have been the standard reactionary style and without much thought. I also can see where you are coming form in writing the article and certainly respect that point of view. Mr Simpson is not pandering to the "good ol' boys", if people take time to fully read these proposals and not react out of disdain for said industries or politics they could recognize this. In your article you or your source rather remarks that,"spring grazing hurts their ability to recover from wildfire", with "their"being native grasses. There is a LOT of truth to that particular statement, however there are several things which are left out of the context. First and foremost it is not suggested that spring grazing be done in these areas that it is known or even thought to be harmful, much of what embodies these arguments is based on emotion and a history of mistakes, rather than current science and a wholly thoughtful process. Another major peice of context that goes without mention in this is the non-native and invasive species that already have severely and permanently changed the rangelands and forestlands that are talked about. While it is true that the ranching, farming, and timber industries all have contributed to this occurence, the biggest and most unabashed contributor currently, is tourism and our explosive growth in the entire west. I only mention this as a reminder, more on point, these changes in species require changes in management practices and while I don't agree with giving away our natural resources to industry if it can be beneficial in "certain instances" then it should not be ruled out.
As for a few comments on other comments, Anyone who blames Mr. Marvel for the fires is out of line, unless they have some evidence of his arson. Of equal concern is the statement that there is no scientific evidence that grazing prevents fires. I agree but I really don't think anybody has ever tried to promote that theory, rather the suggestion is that grazing could reduce the overall fuel load and thus reduce the intensity making fires easier to manage.
an illustration of emotion and politics interfering with thought is exemplified by the remarks about Larry Craig and family values, however grotesque that situation is it has nothing to with this article!