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Plan that may save birds on PUBLIC land



 Folks,

Here is something that us "easterners" who are often told that our opinion
of western public lands management "doesn't count" might want to follow as
it develops. I have been out west as have many birders in this area, and I'm
sure I'm not the only one who has observed the ecological degradation
wrought by cattle grazing. How's this relevant to carolinabirds one might
ask?...Well if nothing else it increases the chances of another opportunity
for all the listing fanatics to add something like a Townsend's Solitaire to
their NC list when one strays terribly from their normal distribution :}.
Actually a plan such as this may be the only hopeful alternative for Sage
Grouse and other game birds. I'd like to add a Sage Grouse to my list,
hopefully sooner rather than later. Enjoy...

Eric Harrold
Charlotte, NC

>Sierra Club Endorses Program to Compensate Ranchers, Conserve Public
Lands
>
>Moab, Utah -- The Sierra Club today endorsed a plan to compensate
public
>lands ranchers who voluntarily yield their federal grazing permits, a
plan
>that benefits America's ranchers, taxpayers and public lands. Created
by
>the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign (NPLGC), the proposal calls
for
>Congress to pass a buyout program that would provide financial
compensation
>to ranchers who choose to relinquish their federal grazing leases.
>
>"Voluntary retirement of federal grazing permits is a great opportunity
for
>ranchers and conservationists to work together," said Jennifer
Ferenstein,
>Sierra Club President. "This plan helps ranchers, saves taxpayer money,
and
>diminishes decades of environmental degradation wrought by livestock
>grazing on America's public lands."
>
>American taxpayers spend about $500 million annually to administer
cattle
>grazing on public lands. This legislation could save a significant
portion
>of that money and at the same time relieve natural landscapes harmed by
>grazing. Struggling ranchers will also have a chance to get out of
public
>lands grazing without serious economic consequences.
>
>"The Sierra Club applauds this voluntary program for ranchers to give
up
>public land grazing privileges for reasonable compensation," said Wayne
>Hoskisson, chairman of the Sierra Club's national grazing committee.
>"Congress should act on this unique opportunity to create such balanced
>legislation."
>
>"This voluntary approach will do more to benefit struggling ranchers
and
>America's natural resources than the recently announced plans of the
Bush
>administration to weaken endangered species and other environmental
>protections to promote excessive commercial cattle grazing on public
>lands," said Hoskisson. "The Administration's misguided plans will only
>harm the health of our nation's public lands in the long run."
>
>More than 120 conservation groups across the country have already
endorsed
>the plan. For more information about the plan, visit
>www.publiclandsranching.org.
>
>                                     ###