Roundtable highlights rancher responsibilities 

Cuts to federal agencies lead to more interaction 

By ALEX POWERS 

H&N Staff Reporter

February 9, 2012

H&N photo by Alex Powers  J-Spear Ranch manager Joe Villagrana discusses Oregon cattle ranching on Saturday during a roundtable discussion at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

   At a roundtable discussion Saturday at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, Burns-area rancher Susan Doverspike said cattle ranchers can’t ignore land use requirements on permits or grazing allotments on public lands.  

   Federal land managers, she said, have increasingly required her to take measurements of grass height and water levels in riparian areas as the BLM and U.S. Forest Service continue to contend with budget shortfalls.

   “It’s very important to make those measurements … and again when you take your cows off,” she told a small audience at the discussion.  

   U.S. Forest Service representative Martina Keil said ranchers shouldn’t take for granted permitting agencies fully understanding both sides of an environmental issue.

   Often, she said, government agencies are willing to listen, but ranchers have to be willing to come forward with problems. It’ll become increasingly crucial as budgets decline and   more responsibility falls on ranchers to understand their permits.

   Getting federal grants

   Joe Villagrana, manager at J-Spear Ranch in Lakeview, talked about the cattle industry as a changing business as ranchers scramble to get cattle recognized as a renewable resource.

   The ranch’s cows, he said, are certified with federal standards such as Good Agricultural Practices and Non-Hormone Treated Cattle among others.

   “It sounds like a lot of bull crap, but we’ve got to be competitive,” he said.

   The ranch has seen technological advancements, like micro-chipped cattle and computer catalogs that allow cattlemen to be more flexible and make   quick health-related decisions about their herds.

   Complying with such standards allows ranchers to apply for federal credits or projects like riparian fencing and roadway culverts over streams, he said.

   By being open-minded, Villagrana said, J-Spear ranch managers have found and applied for grants through numerous government and private conservation entities such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Ducks Unlimited.

   “You name it, we’ve done it,” he said.

   Others criticized government policy, saying the goal of conservation law isn’t always clear to ranchers.

   “It’s our responsibility … to define the benefit, and then the cost,” said Klamath Cattlemen’s Association President Nathan Jackson. “And the cost side of the equation is missing all the time.”

   Jackson believes the public, too, isn’t always aware of both sides of environmental concerns. He said ranchers spend time and money fighting issues that have come to them from regulatory agencies, rather than promoting their side.

   “We need to be proactive in this stuff,” he said.