WASHINGTON, DC – What if the one thing you were fighting for was destroyed, in part, due to your lack of knowledge for saving it? As wildfires burn up portions of California and other western states, it becomes apparent that well-meaning environmental, but misguided efforts, are devastating everything in their path. For the past 50 years, forest density has increased around 40 percent as some environmental groups have fought to keep controlled burns and managed grazing off public lands. The result, again, has been ineffective and disastrous. Through excessive litigation and overregulation, environmentalists have created a perfect recipe for wildfires that not only destroy the land but also kills off livestock and endangered species while charring the ground so badly that micro-organisms in the soil – necessary for recovery – cannot survive. What should change? According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Outcome-Based Grazing Authorization (OBGA) program is a good start. By allowing managed wildlife grazing, the BLM believes invasive species like cheatgrass, which have overtaken millions of acres, can be thinned out. In addition, prescribed burns would bring about healthy situations for both plant, animal, and insect species. Opponents believe it is simply a ploy by ranchers to take advantage of a low-cost supply of feed. Proponents on the other hand point to failed policies of 25 years and a desire to return to a managed approach.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)