lmd oct 2014

More With Less

LivestockDigest

Livestock“The greatest homage we

can pay to truth is to use it.”– JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

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by LEE PITTS

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DigestRiding Herd

Darn those poultry pluckersanyway. While we’re allpatting ourselves on theback, buying new pickups

and feeling fine about theseheady cattle prices, Americanconsumers are jilting their formerbeefy first-love and have fallenhard for the two-legged soy-beans. When we awake from thisdream of a cattle market we mayfind that beef, the former King ofMeats, has not only fallen farbehind chicken, but the otherwhite meat too. We may want to change our

advertising slogan because whenmore and more consumers ask“What’s for Dinner?” these days,the answer isn’t beef.

Nothing To Crow AboutWhen Chris Hurt, an Ag

Econ professor at Purdue,crunched all the numbers theProfessor’s name said it all . . . abig “hurt” had been put on beef.In 2007 meat consumption inthis country per person was 219pounds of beef, pork, chickenand turkey. This year that num-ber will be around 199 pounds,down 10 percent in just sevenyears. That’s nothing to crowabout even for poultry people butit was especially bad news forbeef. Of the 20 pound decreasein overall meat consumption,beef was responsible for 11

retail price for chicken whichwas up 18 percent over the sametime frame. Even more telling,Professor Hurt says that beef’sprice rose 5 percent faster thanthe general inflation rate at atime when the average Americanfamily had less income withwhich to buy groceries.“Peoplesimply eat less meat when pricesrise quickly,” says Hurt.Let’s not kid ourselves, we all

know that the major reason weare enjoying such high beef

prices is not our advertising, it’sbecause we lost 12 percent ofour cow herd just since 2007 andhave the fewest number of cowsin 60 years. Business schoolgraduates would say our “nation-al supply chain is depleted.” Talkabout unsustainable! Sharingmore of a smaller and smaller pieis no way to rebuild an industry.It’s not about to change any-

time soon either. The NationalChicken Council says we canexpect a double digit increase inchicken consumption this yearand 24 percent of consumers saythey’ll be eating even morechicken in the future.

A Cow ConundrumPart of the solution to our

consumption woes is to producemore beef but if we save backheifers to rebuild the nation’sbeef herd, that creates an evenbigger shortage of beef, causing

pounds of the drop, pork porkfive pounds and chicken andturkey were down 2 poundseach. In percentage terms thenews is even more bleak: con-sumption of beef was down 17percent while chicken was onlydown 3 percent. See a trendhere?It can be argued that the pri-

mary reason for beef’s drop inconsumption was that since2007 the retail price of beef rose40 percent. Compare that to

If you can smile when things go wrong,

you have someone in mind to blame.

continued on page twelve

www.LeePittsbooks.com

Road Rage

The clean-cut boys andgirls in their blue andgold FFA jackets makeme so proud to be a

former member. That wascertainly the case when I sawon the front page of myweekly copy of the VoiceNews of Hickman, Nebras-ka, FFA members from theFreeman Chapter harvestingover 1,000 pounds of toma-toes, peppers, sweet corn,beans, cantaloupe, cucum-bers and zucchini that theygave to needy area residentsand food pantries. AlthoughI’m quite sure the zucchiniwas probably later returnedunder the cover of darkness.They also grew somethingcalled swiss chard and kale,which in my gardening dayswere known as weeds!Most FFA chapters have

such activities where theystrive to make their commu-nity a better place to live.And I salute them. In ourtown our big communityeffort was the annual road-side cleanup. This was backin the day when motoriststhought nothing of openingthe car window to emptytheir trash. So it was a bigjob and we were aided byLions Club members whodrove the trucks we filledwith trash.I must admit, I dreaded

the day because it was a lotof hard work and I almostpicked up a rattlesnake onetime. But my Grandpa livedfor roadside cleanup,although my Grandmotherdefinitely didn’t. Just thewords “roadside cleanup”were enough to make herbreak down and sob for sheknew that if anything “good”was found it would end up inher house. Probably in theliving room.There is a big park named

for my Grandpa in my townbecause he put on rodeos tobuild it. He was Chief of ourvolunteer fire department fordecades, Honorary ChapterFarmer and a stalwart of ourcommunity, except on thisday when his behavior wassomewhat suspect. He votedhimself the Inspector Gener-al and it was he who per-formed the mandatory checkon every truck so that hemight redirect it to his houseif he found any “keepers”

continued on page two

New Mexicans were out-raged to learn that theU.S Fish & Wildlife Serv-ice (FWS) and the Ari-

zona Game & Fish Department(AGFD) have entered into adeal to accept an unpublishedplan for Mexican wolf manage-ment in Arizona and New Mex-ico, according to Jose VarelaLopez, New Mexico CattleGrowers’ Association President,La Cieneguilla.“It is incomprehensible that a

federal agency would engage insuch an action,” said VarelaLopez. “We learned on Septem-ber 22 that the deal had beenmade. Comments on the DraftEnvironmental Impact State-ment (DEIS) and final revisionof the Endangered Species Act10j rule didn’t even close untilSeptember 23.”The Mexican wolf reintro-

duction has been the subject ofgreat controversy for more than20 years and has had significanteconomic impact on rural com-

munities in the reintroductionareas of New Mexico, noted RicThompson, Northern NewMexico Safari Club President,Edgewood.Sources indicate that the deal

cut between FWS and AGFDwill do the following:(I) A Service commitment of

no wolves north of Interstate 40.Wolves that are identified northof I-40 will be trapped andreturned to the Mexican WolfExperimental Population Areautilizing a 10(a)1(a) permit.(II) An expressed upper pop-

ulation limit in the rule of 300-325 Mexican wolves in NM andAZ. When the population objec-tive of 300-325 is reached, strictremoval will be implemented toreduce the population to themaximum of 300-325 individualanimals.(III) Mexican wolves would

be removed if impacting wildungulate herds at a rate higherthan 15 percent as determinedby the States using state

methodologies of populationmeasurement.(IV) Zones of occupancy that

are similar or the same as pro-posed by the Arizona Game andFish Department in their previ-ous comments and alternative.These items were all con-

tained in an alternative for theEIS from Arizona that wasn’teven published in the EIS,Thompson continued, so mem-bers of the public have had noopportunity to review and com-ment on it.“This deal clearly violates the

spirit, the intent, and the letterof the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA),” noted TomMcDowell, New Mexico Trap-pers Association President, Cor-rales.While the deal will have

tremendous impact on NewMexicans and land within NewMexico was included in thealternative developed by the

OCTOBER 15, 2014 • www. aaalivestock . com Volume 56 • No. 10

continued on page three

by Lee Pitts

New Mexico Small Businesses Blast US Fish & Wildlife Service Backroom Wolf Deal

the price to go higher still.Which in turn reduces consump-tion even more. But if we sellthose heifers that means we'llhave an even smaller nationalbeef herd down the road. Wecould, and are, importing morebeef to keep prices down asimports from Canada this yearare up well over 20 percent. Butis our goal really to build a betterAmerican beef market for for-eign producers to capitalize on?Add in the fact that more and

more cows are being kicked offpublic grazing land, and manyinvestors buying ranch landtoday are doing so for uses otherthan ranching, and you have anindustry shrinking before ourvery eyes. This calls for newthinking about how we can pro-duce more beef with fewerinputs. It won't be easy.

Breeding To FeedingThere are roughly nine million

dairy cows in the U.S. andbesides milk, cheese and otherdairy products, they produce 20percent of the beef consumed inthis country. And that percent-age could be higher still if WulfCattle, headquartered in Min-nesota, has their way.The nine million dairy cows

produce 4 million dairy calveswhich are not needed for dairyreplacements. Typically dis-counted, what if these 4 millionhead could be turned from Hol-steins into beef machines, pro-ducing more tonnage and help-ing to preserve beef’s marketshare? That’s the idea behindWulf’s Breeding to Feeding pro-gram.The Wulf family has been in

the cattle business for nearly 60years, has been breeding pure-bred Limousin since the 1970s,and has been buying back thoseLimousin sired calves for 30years to feed. So they knowwhat’s under the hide.Mike Hall has been a distin-

guished animal science professorand beef cattle specialist at CalPoly, San Luis Obispo for nearlyfour decades and he met mem-bers of the Wulf family whileserving on the Board of Direc-tors for the Limousin Associa-tion. Now retired, the tirelessHall became the western repre-sentative for Wulf in trying to selldairymen on the Breeding toFeeding concept in the biggestdairy state in the nation, Califor-nia.“Wulf Cattle,” says Hall,

“were first cattle feeders beforeseedstock producers. The lateLeonard Wulf chose Limousinover other continental breeds inthe early 70s because theycrossed so well with their com-mercial cattle that were superiorin the feedlot and on the rail.Presently they have expandedtheir feeding operations fromMinnesota to two additionalfeedyards in Nebraska. Theyhave a one-time feeding capacityof over 50,000 between thesefeeding locations. Wulf also hascattle on feed in custom feedlotsin Texas. Most of their cattle onfeed are “program cattle” that

are either Natural, NHTCand/or GAP certified. From theearly days and still today, Wulfprefers to work with their bullcustomers by buying their calvesfrom the bulls that were pur-chased from Wulf.”The Wulf operation was built

on muscle and the feed efficien-cy that Limousin brings to a ter-minal cross. They see dairy cowsas an underutilized resource andfelt that Limousin would be theideal beef breed to cross withdairy breeds to produce more ofthe kind of beef the Americanconsumer demands.

A Golden CrossThe idea behind the Breeding

To Feeding program is dairymenwould use sexed semen on theirvery best cows to produce theirdairy replacements and use beefsemen on all lower meritfemales. Because today’s dairyindustry is numbers driven it ispossible for a dairyman to rankeach of his cows using any one ofa number of computer programs.The dairyman would then deter-mine how many replacementshe'd need in any given year andbreed only that number withsexed semen from the best dairybulls available. The rest of hiscows would be bred to eitherWulf Limousin or Lim-Flex®(Limousin x Angus) bulls toincrease profits with steers thatfit the beef industry's specs. Theyrecommend using Limousin onJerseys and Lim-Flex® on Hol-steins.Says Hall, “We have the most

data on the Limousin X Jerseywith over 3,000 head throughthe entire chain; however, theLim-Flex X Holstein are comingin now with good results. Obvi-ously, the Jersey has the mostgain with the beef cross and theLimousin is the perfect comple-ment. Angus X Holstein hasbeen very popular cross, primari-ly with the Angus name. We feelthe Limousin genetics is a bettercross with increased ribeye area,higher dressing percent andimproved feed efficiency.” Just as the cattle industry has

mimicked the dairy industry intheir use of EPDs and data tobuild a better animal, there’ssomething to be said for the con-cept of using your very best beefcows to produce your replace-ments, while breeding your lessercows to a terminal cross sire. Thesame concept would apply if youwant to keep your herd 100 per-cent Angus. You would breedyour very best cows to maternal,easy calving bulls and the rest tohigh growth Angus bulls or bet-ter carcass sires.Wulf’s Breeding to Feeding

program also has the potential tofix a couple of the dairy indus-try’s problems. “Many Holsteinproducers,” says Hall, “overpro-duce the heifer replacementswhich has caused severe prob-lems with the operating budgets.With the present technology ofsex semen, especially on Jerseys,there is no need to breed con-

Livestock Market Digest October 15, 2014

As far as farmers and ranchers are concerned, 40-hour workweeks only exist in movies. We put in the same long hours because we’re farmers and ranchers too. Since 1916, we’ve provided loans, insurance and other financial services to help generations of New Mexicans get ahead. And relax. Someday.

Call 1-800-451-5997 or visit www.FarmCreditNM.com

Felipe Sanchez, Member Since 2010, and son Diego

More With Less continued from page one


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ventional dairy semen to Jerseysas the bull calves have little val-ue.”

A Dual PurposeHere’s how it all works. A

dairyman orders semen fromGenex, or other partners such asCRV, Alta Genetics, and SelectSires and inseminates the desig-nated lower quality dairy cows toLimousin bulls. The Wulf sired

calves are born on the dairy androutinely transported to partici-pating calf ranches. Then thecrossbred calves are purchasedby Wulf Cattle and the dairyreceives a premium. The resulting crossbred calves

are more efficient feed convert-ers, have more muscle and as ifby magic, a lower value dairycarcass is transformed into abeef carcass with increased rib-

October 15, 2014 “America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

More With Less continued from page two

AGFD, the effort had absolutelyno support from any New Mexi-cans, said Kim Talbot, SouthernNew Mexico Chapter of theSafari Club. The New MexicoDepartment of Game & Fishwithdrew from the wolf programtwo years ago because it wasbeing run over by the FWS, hesaid.

A dozen sportsmen and live-stock organizations in New Mex-ico put FWS Director Dan Asheon notice that the actions of thefederal and state agency are pre-decisional and recommendedwithdrawal of the entire processwith a letter on September 25,2014.“The rush to judgment on this

issue is a result of a multi-speciessettlement entered into by theUS. Department of Justice morethan two years ago with two radi-cal environmentalist groups,”reported Varela Lopez. “TheFWS is set to complete the wolfprogram revisions by early 2015.Clearly there will be much morelitigation on the issue.

Wolf Deal continued from page one

Arizona noticed a Com-mission meeting on Sep-tember 20. Four stategame department direc-

tors were told of the deal onSeptember 22. The ArizonaCommission met on Septem-ber 23. This release came outon the 24th.Arizona Game and Fish

Commission demands resolu-tion of three primary concernsin Mexican wolf rule proposalThe Arizona Game and Fish

Commission voted unanimous-ly this week [week of Septem-ber 22] to have the ArizonaGame and Fish Departmentnegotiate with the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service to findagreeable resolution to threeprimary points of contention inthe draft Environmental ImpactStatement (dEIS) on the 10(j)rule for Mexican wolf recovery.The commission directed

the department to addressthree primary concerns in theirnegotiations with the Service.The current proposal:

n Lacks a cap on the num-ber of wolves allowed in Ari-zona and New Mexico. Possi-ble resolution is 300-325 wolvesacross the two states with clearand enforceable removal strate-gies to ensure that this numberis not exceeded.

n Fails to define the level ofimpact that constitutes “unac-ceptable impact” to ungulatepopulations. Possible resolutionis to provide an objective defini-tion of a 15 percent impact trig-ger to begin wolf removal.

n Proposes three wolf man-agement zones in Arizona thatallow dispersal to almost theentire state south of I-40despite many of these areasoffering unsuitable habitat andprey base. Possible resolution isto expand wolf management inthe experimental populationarea in phases as follows:– Phase 1: No translocations

would occur west of Highway87, but wolves could disperse tothe Mexican Wolf Experimen-tal Population Area (MWEPA)north of Highway 260 betweenHighway 87 and I-17.– Phase 2: No translocations

would occur west of I-17, butwolves could disperse to High-way 89.– Phase 3: No translocations

would occur west of Highway

89, but wolves could dispersethroughout the MWEPA.Evaluations of the phase-in

approach would be conductedafter the first five years of therule and then every three yearsto determine if the next phaseis needed. Evaluations wouldconsider:

n Adverse human interac-tions with wolves,

n Impacts to ungulate popu-lations,

n Whether the wolf popula-tion is achieving an average of10 percent annual growth,based on the end-of-year popu-lation count.“The commission and

department have always soughta balanced approach to Mexi-can wolf reintroduction. TheService’s current proposal hasthe potential for unregulatedwolf population growth thatwould clearly have great impacton the people and other wildlifespecies of Arizona. The com-mission’s latest action seeks topursue a managed approach toMexican wolf reintroductionrather than the uncertainty pro-vided by the Service’s preferredalternative,” said CommissionerKurt Davis. The commission is con-

cerned that the dEIS failed toinclude any elements from analternative proposal developedand submitted to the Service by28 cooperating agencies andstakeholders. The commissionadamantly believes that anysuccessful proposal mustaddress and balance the needsof all stakeholders and otherwildlife species in the state.The commission has indicat-

ed that if the Service fails toaddress their three concerns,they will consider legal and con-gressional remedies to resolvethe failings of the dEIS.The rule proposals currently

being considered will governthe future direction of the Mex-ican wolf reintroduction effortin Arizona and New Mexico.The alternative developed bythe cooperators’ group is scien-tifically-based and would fur-ther cooperation between fed-eral and state agencies andstakeholders to achieve a self-sustaining wolf population.

For more information on the Cooperator’sAlternative and the Mexican wolf reintroduc-tion effort, visitwww.azgfd.gov/wolf.

Arizona Game DepartmentTries to Provide Cover forBackroom Deal on Wolves

eye and excellent quality andyield grades. The carcasses arethen sold to Laura’s Lean Beef,Tyson Fresh Foods or GreaterOmaha Beef.The Wulf’s did their home-

work before embarking on thisprogram. The University of Min-nesota, gathered data on over2,500 cattle produced by Limou-sin matings to Jersey cows andcame to the conclusion thatover 80 percent of the 1350pound carcasses graded choice,9 percent graded prime, ribeyesmeasured more than 13.9 inch-es, and there were no discountstaken for the shape of the ribeye.(Dairy cattle typically producemore elongated ribeyes.) Dairycattle that can produce thesekinds of beef animals haveanother plus going for them . . .they calve year round.“We have proven that through

this program we can produceboth milk and beef from thesame animal,” says Jerry Wulf,president of Wulf Cattle, “anddo it efficiently with the use ofLimousin genetics.”

A Jersey RenaissanceThe Jersey seems like an ideal

cross with Limousin but onedrawback is the number of Jerseycows in dairy herds today. Whileit is the second most populardairy cow in America, only 7 per-cent of the U.S. dairy herd ismade up of Jerseys. But thebreed is enjoying somewhat of arenaissance because their milk is4.84 percent butterfat which

makes it ideal for cheese produc-ers. Also, dairymen are paid byprocessors based on the contentof butterfat and protein in themilk they produce. Jerseys alsocalve easily, have a relatively low-er rate of dystocia, and are highlyfertile. For the 90 percent of thenation’s dairy herd that is Hol-stein, Wulf has selected specificLimousin and Lim/Flex® bullsthat nick well with them.Not only could this program

give us more quality beef towithstand poultry’s advance, ithas the potential to put anothermillion head of feeders in Ameri-ca’s feedlots, who observers sayhave 20 percenet too much bunkspace for the present size of ourindustry.Breeding to Feeding is bare-

ly one year old but already par-ticipating calf ranches are locat-ed in eight different major cowpockets around the U.S. andthe program earned a DairyHerd Management InnovationAward at the 2013 World DairyExpo. The award was based onprogram originality, usefulnessand value to dairy producers,but it could be just as useful tothe beef industry in supplyingmore domestically producedbeef.

Nothing NewOf course, there is nothing

new to this idea of crossing beefand dairy animals. Back in the1970s dairies often freshenedtheir dairy cows by breedingthem to easy calving Angus

bulls. Until recently, most dairycalves were sold for veal, orthey were sent to a feedyard at200 to 300 pounds and fed foran entire year. Years ago inSouthern California Ralph’sMarkets committed to sellingbeef only from calf-fed Hol-steins because it was so consis-tent.Mike Hall recalls, “Crossing

beef breeds with dairy cows hasbeen practiced for sometimenow with limited success. Therehave been some programs thathave not delivered which hascaused dairymen to be skepticalof this whole idea. But the tim-ing is perfect now with amatured dairy herd and ourreduced beef cow numbers.” Dairy beef programs grew

out of favor when there wereplenty of beef cattle to feed andprocess. Also, because theyhave to be fed a grain-intensediet nearly from the get go,they don’t pencil out whengrain is high priced. And shouldfeed prices get as high as theywere last year such a programas Wulf's Breeding To Feedingwould face some tough chal-lenges. But in the meantimethey will produce more of thebeef American consumers aredemanding and in the processpreserve and protect some ofbeef's market share. We’ll need more of this type

of thinking if we are to preventthe cocky capons from eatingour lunch . . . and our dinner,too.

The Case for an Endan-gered Species Reserve Program

BRIAN SEASHOLES,SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

The Endangered Species Act(ESA) has become one ofthe most controversialpieces of U.S. environmen-

tal legislation. Proponents claimthe ESA is a success because ithas saved many species fromextinction. Others question itsrecord, especially in terms ofconserving species on privatelands.Controversy over the ESA

increased significantly followingthe 2011 settlement of a lawsuitbetween the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service and several envi-ronmental pressure groups,under which Fish and Wildlife isrequired to consider for listingunder the Act a total 757 speciesby 2018. There is a significantrisk that, in response to thethreat of these listings landown-ers will make their lands inhos-pitable to endangered species, asthey have in response to otherlistings. That would be a trulyperverse and unfortunate out-come.The Endangered Species Act,

passed in 1973, aims to help pre-vent rare species from goingextinct and improve theirprospects. Since then, it hasbecome apparent that:1. On private lands, which

comprise the main habitat forthe majority of endangeredspecies, the Act’s strong penal-ties have turned endangeredspecies into financial liabilities.As a result, landowners seek torid their property of endangeredspecies and their habitat.2. Reforms ostensibly enacted

to address this problem, forexample by adding incentivesand giving landowners assur-ances against future regulation,have fallen short because they

ameliorate but leave largelyintact the Act’s perverse andcounterproductive penalties.3. Published research and

other evidence point away fromthe Endangered Species Act’spunitive approach by showingthat landowners are generallywilling to conserve imperiledspecies so long as they are notpunished for doing so, theirautonomy and rights are not sub-stantially infringed, they arecompensated, and people theytrust are involved.This study proposes a new

approach, called the EndangeredSpecies Reserve Program, whichwould be a far more successfulapproach for conserving endan-gered species. The EndangeredSpecies Reserve Program wouldremove the counterproductivepenalties and replace them withan entirely voluntary system inwhich landowners are compen-sated for investing in habitat andspecies conservation.The Endangered Species

Reserve Program would essen-tially function as a contract pro-gram like the ConservationReserve Program. The ESRPwould compensate landownersfor periods of around 10-15 yearsin exchange for agreeing to con-serve endangered species habi-tat. There is also a wide range ofinnovative proposals, such asrewarding landowners for pro-ducing endangered species, orfor providing cash bonuses togroups of landowners who man-age contiguous land parcels forthe benefit of endangeredspecies. The Endangered SpeciesReserve Program would functionbest by being flexible enough toallow for a wide range ofapproaches to compensatelandowners. Flexibility is alsoneeded because ecological con-ditions can change over time andbecause landowners strongly dis-like initiatives that lock them into long-term or permanent

arrangements, such as perpetualconservation easements.The Endangered Species

Reserve Program has four addi-tional aspects that would appealto those who are truly interestedin conserving imperiled species.1. It would eliminate the

wasteful lawsuits that haveincreasingly driven the processby which the EndangeredSpecies Act is administered.Over the past ten years, theEndangered Species Act hasbecome increasingly boggeddown in petitions by activistgroups to list hundreds ofspecies, which result in lawsuitsagainst the Fish and WildlifeService over technicalities thathave nothing to do with actualconservation, such as theagency’s inability to meet statu-tory deadlines for responding tothe ever-growing mountain ofpetitions.This has earned these groups,

in particular the Center for Bio-logical Diversity (CBD), the ireof conservationists, especiallybecause the group is often reim-bursed by the federal govern-ment for its many successfulprocedural lawsuits. “Theamount of money CBD makessuing is just obscene,” AmosEno, a prominent conservation-ist and founding president of theResources First Foundation,reportedly said. “They’re one ofthe reasons the EndangeredSpecies Act has become sodys-functional.” According to Eno,the federal government could,“recover and delist three dozenspecies,” with the money andstaff time spent dealing withlawsuits from the Center forBiological Diversity. The Endan-gered Species Reserve Programwould eliminate this wastebecause there would be no citi-zen suit provision. The Endan-gered Species Reserve Programwould put the Fish and WildlifeService and the National MarineFisheries Service back in thebusiness of being able to devotesignificantly more resources toactual conservation.2. The Endangered Species

Reserve Program would free-upthe Fish and Wildlife Serviceand National Marine FisheriesService to make more rationaldecisions about which species toprotect, instead of beingrequired to respond constantlyto lawsuits from activist groups.The federal government andnon-profit groups like theNature Conservancy haveextensive data on what speciesand habitats are most in need ofconservation. These data couldbe used much more effectively ifthe endangered species conser-vation process were driven moreby science rather than lawsuits.The aspect of the Endan-

gered Species Reserve Programthat may be hardest for some to

grasp, especially those steepedin the intricacies of the Endan-gered Species Act, is its simplic-ity. Instead of micro-managingissues as currently occurs underthe Endangered Species Act,such as the definition of species’distinct population segments orwhat constitutes “harm” tospecies, the Endangered SpeciesReserve Program would notspecify these issues. Rather, itwould employ a system to scorehabitat for endangered species,much like the EnvironmentalBenefits Index used under theConservation Reserve Program.Such a scoring system wouldincorporate both the biologicalvalue and the financial cost ofconserving endangered specieshabitat to determine the mostefficient and cost- effectiveexpenditures.3. The Endangered Species

Reserve Program would mostlikely result in tens or even hun-dreds of thousands of landown-ers emerging from the shadowsand volunteering that they haveendangered species on theirland. If landowners were freefrom the fear of being clobberedby the Endangered Species Act,then the most significant barrierstanding in the way of a moresuccessful approach to conserv-ing endangered species would beremoved.4. From a political standpoint,

the Endangered Species ReserveProgram is very feasible becausethere are landowners in everystate but Arizona enrolled in theConservation Reserve Program.As a result, many members ofCongress, as well as state legisla-tors, already have constituentsenrolled in the program andtherefore can easily understandapplying a Conservation ReserveProgram approach to endan-gered species. Federal and statelegislators are often hesitant tostick their necks out on an issue,especially if it is a hot- buttonissue like protecting endangeredspecies. Fortunately, the pres-ence of the ConservationReserve Program gives politi-cians a good deal of the coverthey will need to champion theEndangered Species ReserveProgram.Only substantive reform of

the Endangered Species Act willwork. That means removing thepunitive regulations that causelandowners to destroy habitat,kill species, and to go silent inefforts to avoid being whackedby cocked-two-by- fours. Thereare several reasons why a non-punitive approach to endangeredspecies protection would workbetter than the current law.1. Common sense dictates

that if you want more of some-thing, you reward it. At the veryleast, you don’t punish peoplefor providing it.2. There is now a large and

growing body of evidence, someof which has been documentedin this paper, showing how theEndangered Species Act discour-ages species conservation.3. America’s amazingly suc-

cessful tradition of private con-servation, as well as initiativessuch as the ConservationReserve Program, provelandowners across the countrywill willingly conserve wildlife,including endangered species, solong as they are not punished.4. For those not convinced

about the viability of a non-puni-tive Endangered Species Act,there is a practical consideration:it is simply impossible forenforcers and supporters of theEndangered Species Act topatrol this country’s hundreds ofmillions of acres of endangeredspecies habitat. Short of turningthe U.S. into a police state, pri-vate landowners will always beable lawfully to make habitatunsuitable for species that arealready listed or proposed forlisting, and most will be able tobreak the law without detectionby destroying species and habi-tat.5. Some Endangered Species

Act advocates think the idealapproach is to reward goodlandowner behavior with carrotsand discourage bad behaviorwith sticks. But given landown-ers’ enormous advantage when itcomes to evading or breaking thelaw, the use of sticks will failmore than succeed. Therefore, itis in the best interests of all thoseconcerned about conservingendangered species to get rid ofthe penalties.6. Any legislation, be it for

endangered species or otherissues, must be based on a posi-tive vision of the future in orderto capture the public’s imagina-tion and garner widespread sup-port. People, including membersof Congress, like supporting ini-tiatives they see as optimistic,constructive and good for thecountry.Fortunately, an Endangered

Species Reserve Program pres-ents just such an opportunity forthe public, legislators, non-profitgroups and business interests tosupport actions that are upliftingand elicit sympathy: endangeredspecies, landowners, especiallythose who make a living from theland, America’s long and proudtradition of private conservation,and the amazing job Americanlandowners and citizen-conserva-tionists are doing to conservethis country’s land and wildlife.

This Study’s Materials

Full Study — Fulfilling the Promise of theEndangered Species Act: The Case for anEndangered Species Reserve Program, PDF, 4.3MB, Brian Seasholes

See more at: http://reason.org/news/show/endangered-species-act-promise#sthash.DgbwiXzi.LX2YPsAm.dpuf


How to Fulfill the Promise of theEndangered Species Act


BY LESLIE KINSEL, TSCRA LEGISLATIVE AND TAXCOMMITTEE CHAIR, WITH LARAMIE ADAMS, TSCRADIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Since the Texas and South-western Cattle RaisersAssociation (TSCRA) wasestablished in 1877, one of

the association’s top prioritieshas been to represent landown-ers by working to preserve andprotect private property rights.This goal remains vital today aswe monitor issues that couldadversely affect the importantrights held by ranchers and agri-cultural producers as stewards ofour nation’s land.TSCRA has recently been

monitoring a new rule proposedby the Railroad Commission ofTexas, in the wake of the 2013Denbury case. This new ruleattempts to clarify how oil andgas pipeline companies canobtain “common carrier” statuswhen applying for a permit tooperate a new pipeline.Essentially, a pipeline opera-

tor transporting oil (or certainother products) “to or for thepublic” is a common carrier, andis thereby granted the right andpower of eminent domain. Thiscritical power carries with it theauthority to seize private land forthe pipeline right-of-way.Currently, pipeline companies

seeking the eminent domainrights of a common carrier mere-ly register with the RailroadCommission by checking a fewboxes on a T-4 permit applica-tion. Under the new proposed

rule, pipeline companies wouldbe required to submit documen-tation supporting their claim tobe a common carrier, and thecommission would have 45 daysto review applications.While the proposal may

sound like a step in the rightdirection, TSCRA doesn’tbelieve it addresses many of thekey issues landowners face whenpipeline companies decide to laypipe across private land. In fact,the new rule only adds paper-work to the current common car-rier registration process.TSCRA submitted comments

to the Railroad Commissionregarding the rule proposal.TSCRA stated that the revisedT-4 application should includean acknowledgement from theapplicant pipeline that theyunderstand and agree the permitto operate a pipeline does notgive a company the authority toutilize the power of eminentdomain to acquire private prop-erty for its pipeline.In other words, the Railroad

Commission, in granting a per-mit, would not make a determi-nation whether the pipeline is oris not in fact a common carrier.That question is far too impor-tant for a routine applicationreview. Landowners need toretain their crucial right to con-test in a court whether or not aplanned pipeline is truly for apublic use.However, the right to make a

court challenge is only meaning-ful if the landowner has timelynotice of a pipeline project.TSCRA’s comments stressed

that pipeline companies seekinga T-4 permit should be requiredto give potentially affectedlandowners actual notice by firstclass mail within 10 days of theapplication. The notice shoulddescribe exactly how thepipeline could affect thelandowner’s property. Addition-ally, the commission shouldadopt objective routing stan-dards, similar to those used bypower lines.Lastly, it should be clear that

an individual T-4 permit canapply to only one distinctpipeline or gathering system. If acompany receives common carri-er status for one pipeline project,it does not automatically givethem the power of eminentdomain for another project. It is TSCRA’s hope that the

Railroad Commission of Texaswill seriously consider our com-ments before adopting the newrule proposal. Ranchers and agri-cultural producers have alwaysbeen stewards of the land asthey work to provide an afford-able, safe and abundant supplyof food worldwide. We mustmake certain their private prop-erty rights are respected so theycan continue doing what they dobest. TSCRA will continue mon-itoring the Railroad Commis-sion’s rule proposal and strive tokeep our members informed.

Leslie Kinsel and her husband Dan operateranches in south and central Texas and areactive members of the Texas and Southwest-ern Cattle Raisers Association. Leslie hasserved as the chair of the TSCRA Legislativeand Tax Committee since 2013, and she previ-ously served as the vice chair of the committeefor four years.

Securing Texas Landowners’ Private Property Rights Will Pohlman, Prairie

Grove, Ark., to serve as a beefindustry youth spokesperson

Fifth-generation Angusbreeder Will Pohlman,Prairie Grove, Ark., wasrecently named part of an

elite group of young peopleresponsible for promoting beefto consumers nationwide.Pohlman is a sophomore at theUniversity of Arkansas study-ing biochemistry and animalscience. He joins Rachel Pur-dy, Wyoming; Alicia Smith,Texas; Kalyn McKibben, Okla-homa; and Demi Snider, Ohio,as a member of the 2015National Beef AmbassadorTeam.Representatives were select-

ed at the annual National BeefAmbassador competition,which is funded in part by theBeef Checkoff and managedby the American National Cat-tleWomen, Inc., contractor tothe beef checkoff. Twenty sen-ior contestants ages 17-21,were judged in the areas ofconsumer promotion, educa-tion and outreach strategy,media interview technique andissues response at the eventheld in Denver.Contestants from through-

out the country vied for a placeon this team of agricultureadvocates and $5,000 in cashprizes sponsored exclusively byFarm Credit. Additionally, fiveeducational scholarships total-ing $5,000 were given by theAmerican National Cattle-Women Foundation, Inc. andMonsanto.

This year’s contest also host-ed a junior competition foryouth beef industry advocatesages 12-16. Ten passionatecontestants vied for cashprizes, competing in threejudged categories: consumerpromotion, media interviewtechnique and issues response.The first-place winner was

Phillip Saunders, Virginia. Thesecond-place winner was BretLee, Louisiana, and the third-place winner was AbbeySchiefelbein, Minnesota. Theyall took home checks spon-sored exclusively by FarmCredit for their top scores.While preparing for this

national beef promotion andeducation competition, youthacross the nation learn aboutbeef and the beef industry withsupport from state Cattle-Women and Cattlemen’s asso-ciations and state beef coun-cils. The preparation highlightsindustry issues of current con-sumer interest. Winners of thestate competitions compete atthe national level where theyreceive additional training.After the event, the youth

ambassadors speak to industryissues and misconceptions andeducate their peers and meal-time decision makers aboutbeef nutrition, cattle care, safe-ty and more during consumerevents, in the classroom andonline.Follow the National Beef

Ambassadors on Twitter at@beefambassador and visitwww.nat iona lbeefambas-sador.org or www.ancw.org formore information.

Angus Junior Selected asNational Beef Ambassador


BY MICKY BURCH, NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN FEATURE WRITER

Many of us have heard thesaying, “Don’t judge abook by its cover.” Thatlesson can be taken to

heart when managing your cowherd for bovine viral diarrhea(BVD). BVD is a transitionaldisease, which means you can’ttell by looking if an animal hasthe virus. Years of research hashelped identify the disease ashaving significant effects on pro-ductivity, especially reproductiveand respiratory health, and nowa new tool – BVD CONSULT(Collaborative Online Novel Sci-ence-based User-friendly Learn-ing Tool) – has been introducedto the industry to help managethe virus at the cow-calf level.

BVD BackgroundIn his article “Use of a BVD

Management Tool: BVD CON-SULT,” Bob Larson, DVM,Ph.D., Kansas State University,explains that the virus is costly tocattle producers, because itcauses immune suppression, res-piratory disease, infertility andfetal infection.One of the most detrimental

effects of BVD takes placebetween (approximately) Day 45and Day 135 of gestation – whenthe fetus hasn’t fully developedan immune system. If a fetuscontracts the virus from its damduring this window of time, itbecomes persistently infected(PI) with the BVD virus. Shortlyafter this time frame and up toabout Day 160 of gestation, ifthe fetus contracts the BVDvirus, congenital defects canresult. “There can be skeletal,eye or brain defects or stillbirthsmay occur,” explains DaleGrotelueschen, DVM, MS, Uni-versity of Nebraska Great PlainsVeterinary Educational Center.“Cerebellar hypoplasia is anexample of a brain defect result-ing from a fetal BVD virus infec-tion where the calf may be bornalive, but is unable to rise and isuncoordinated.” Most calvesthat contract BVD in utero get it

when their dams are exposed to andare undergoing acute infections ofBVD, often following nose-to-nosecontact with another animal that hasthe disease. PI calves can also seem perfectly

healthy, and healthy-appearingreplacement females that are PI mayenter your herd. In this instance, a PIdam will always give birth to a PI calf.PI cattle carry the disease their entirelives and shed the virus from everyorifice of their body, especiallythrough nasal discharge, saliva andfeces. “Preventing the birth of PIcalves is a major focus for control inherds and in the cattle industry,”Grotelueschen explains. He also saysthat an extensive study found herdswith PI calves had five percent lowerpregnancy rates than herds withoutinfected calves.Because you can’t tell by

looking, PI BVD cattle must beidentified through lab tests.According to the National Ani-mal Health Monitoring System’s(NAHM’s) 2007-2008 beef cow-calf study, 8.8 percent of U.S.cow-calf ranches identified oneor more PI animals, meaningthat one in every 11 to 12 herdshave PI calves, and most are notaware of their presence.In recent years, Larson adds,

the cattle industry has madehuge strides understandingBVD. “Our current knowledgeof BVD, the availability of effec-tive vaccines, and the improve-ment in diagnostic tools havemade the control of BVD feasi-ble,” he says. The key to usingthese resources, Grotelueschencontinues, is to design individu-alized herd-control plans for thedisease. That’s where BVDCONSULT comes in.

BVD CONSULTBVD CONSULT is an inter-

net-based tool for developingherd health plans for cattle opera-tions; this means the producermakes choices and then sets goalsfor how BVD control can beaccomplished in their herd. BVDCONSULT was designed forproducers to work with their herdveterinarians to develop BVDcontrol and prevention plans. Forherds that currently have PI cattle

Industry Offers New Tool for BVD Management

Each fall the American Gelbvieh Association(AGA) honors females in the herdbook thatdisplay maternal superiority through the Damof Merit and Dam of Distinction program.

The AGA praises those members who continuallyplace emphasis on the maternal traits of Gelbviehand Balancer® genetics in their herd and producethese outstanding females.Of the 40,132 active cows in the AGA herdbook,

only five percent qualified for the Dam of Meritaward. Only one percent of the cows within theherdbook qualified for the elite Dam of Distinctionhonor. All three of these numbers are up from onlya year ago, when the AGA saw 39,516 active cows,3.6 percent qualifying for Dam of Merit and 0.8percent for Dam of Distinction.“Maternal traits are where the Gelbvieh breed

really excels. Encouraging our members to continueputting selection pressure on these traits will put thebreed in an even better position for impacting thebeef industry,” says Susan Willmon, American Gel-bvieh Association’s director of breed improvement.The Dam of Merit and Dam of Distinction

recognition program was started in 1991 to honorsuperior females within the breed. Both of thesehonor females based on data that is submitted tothe AGA. The females must meet the following cri-teria to qualify for this recognition: early pubertyand conception, regular calving intervals, and above-average weaning weights on their calves. Dams ofMerit must have produced at least three calves inaddition to meeting these criteria. Dams of Distinc-tion must have produced eight calves or more andexhibit superior, long-term productivity.

Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a maternaladvantage through increased longevity, added fertil-ity, and more pounds of calve weaned per cowexposed. With maternal productivity playing a majorrole in profitable beef production, Gelbvieh andBalancer cattle are a smart choice for commercialcattlemen, particularly for the advantages of cross-breeding. Using Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics ina crossbreeding program can add as much as $1,000profit over the lifetime of a crossbred cow.

The following lists the top ten breeders ofDams of Merit and Dams of Distinction:1. Judd Ranch, Inc., Pomona, KS2. Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc., Winslow, AZ.3. Lazy TV Ranch, Selby, S.D.4. Taubenheim Gelbvieh, Amherst, NE5. Flying H Genetics, Arapahoe, NE6. Schroeder, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D.7. Wehri Gelbvieh, Hebron, N.D.8. Post Rock Cattle Co., Barnard, KS.9. Chimney Butte Ranch, Mandan, N.D.10. Diamond D Gelbvieh, Mandan, N.D.The listing of the top ten owners of Dams of

Merit and Dams of Distinction:1. Judd Ranch, Inc., Pomona, KS.2. Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc., Winslow, AZ.3. Lazy TV Ranch, Selby, S.D.4. Taubenheim Gelbvieh, Amherst, NE.5. Flying H Genetics, Arapahoe, NE.6. Schroeder, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D.7. Wehri Gelbvieh, Hebron, N.D.8. Diamond D Gelbvieh, Mandan, N.D.9. Chimney Butte Ranch, Mandan, N.D.10. Sandy Knoll Farm, Saint John, KS.

Gelbvieh Breeders Recognized for Superior Females

present, the tool helps create aplan to identify and remove thosecattle and establish a strategy toreduce the likelihood of the herdbecoming infected again, Larsonexplains. For herds that are cur-rently virus-free, BVD CON-SULT can be used to decide howto minimize the likelihood of thedisease entering the herd and toreduce the impact if the herd isexposed.“Using BVD CONSULT is

simple,” Larson continues in hisarticle. “The system is set uponline as a series of questionswith responses designed to mim-ic a conversation between a vet-erinarian and a producer who isconcerned about BVD.” Theprogram then provides recom-mendations specific to individualoperations. After clicking “yes”or “no” to answer each question,an appropriate response is givenbased on the choices that have

been made, followed by anotherquestion. The questions that areasked, and the responses given,vary depending on the previousanswers. There are six to 10questions depending on thechoices made. A printable reportis available at the end of thequestionnaire, which records thechoices that were made andresponses given.Sample questions from the

BVD CONSULT questionnaireinclude:

n Do you have active BVD inyour herd?

n Will you institute a testingstrategy that identifies all PIBVD cattle and remove themfrom your herd?

n Will you quarantine andtest all new cattle coming intoyour breeding herd?

n Can you prevent fence lineand direct contact of your preg-nant herd with other cattle?

Jeremy Van Boeing, DVM,Republican Valley Animal Cen-ter, Alma, Neb., and chairmanof NC’s Animal Health commit-tee, has already started helpinghis clients utilize BVD CON-SULT in their herds. “This pro-gram simplifies decision makingfor producers when it comes toBVD management,” he explains.“It’s a tool that allows producersto look at the disease on theirown time, then discuss the ques-tions they have with their veteri-narian so they know what thenext step is and how to take it.”All-in-all, Grotelueschen says,

BVD CONSULT is an opportu-nity to increase the level of herdhealth plans in a way producersare comfortable with. Moreinformation and the online ques-tionnaire can be found by visit-ing www.bvdinfo.org.

Reprinted with permission from September2013 Nebraska Cattleman magazine.

Sportservice partners with former Rams line-backer Will Witherspoon's Shire Gate Farm toserve the most sustainable, high-welfare hot dogsand burgers at Edward Jones Dome, MO

This season, football fans at the 64,000-capacity Edward Jones Dome, home to theSt. Louis Rams, will enjoy the first ever high-welfare, sustainable hot dogs and burgers

served by stadium concessions, thanks to the pio-neering work of Delaware North CompaniesSportservice and AWA-certified Shire Gate Farm. Never shy of tackling societal issues—both on

and off the field—the team leads the field when itcomes to serving responsibly-sourced meat prod-ucts to its fans. Through its long-term partnershipwith Delaware North Companies Sportservice—

one of the nation’s leading food, beverage andretail management companies—St. Louis Ramswill serve thousands of Rams and visiting Min-nesota Vikings fans at the opening game of theseason on September 7 with a new range of hotdogs and burgers that will satisfy fans’ growingappetites for meat products that are healthier forthem—and the planet.In keeping with their commitment to environ-

mental responsibility and the guest experience,Sportservice has worked tirelessly with Will With-erspoon—last year’s starting linebacker for theRams and owner of AWA-certified Shire GateFarm in Owensville, MO—to serve fans with anew range of truly sustainable, high-welfare hotdogs and burgers at its concessions facilities atEdward Jones Dome.

St. Louis Rams move the chains onResponsibly-Sourced Meat

good horses and fresh cattle.They worked side by side for

several years until they accom-plished what they had set out todo. Many people came from nearand far to buy good Herefordcattle and top American QuarterHorses. The cattle herd support-ed the race and show horses easi-ly for nearly 50 years.Then in the 1980s things

began to change. Cattle startedto drop in price and horses start-ed to go up. Within ten years theranch changed completely to stayalive. Horses became the main-stay and cattle became second-ary. It’s incredible how for over40 years cattle paid the bills, butthen the horses had to take overmost of it.The most important lesson is if

you are running your own busi-ness you must embrace change.I know many cattle and horse-

men that are very traditional bynature. That is a fine thing to pre-serve the old ways, but when itcomes to paying bills you mayhave to change some of that tomake a living in the present.We all know that the forces

are against the small independentfamily ranch or farm. Large cor-porations have taken over agricul-ture and don’t have much sympa-thy for the little guy. They haveeven imposed a tax on the inde-pendent that he has to pay at theauction house when he sells hiscattle. You have no choice to optout of this ridiculous tax thatprobably goes to something thatwill never help you or your liveli-hood. The only choice is to notsell your cattle at auction. It isone thing to be taxed by govern-

ment as you know they will gladlywaste your tax dollars protectingsome turtle from the evil cattle.However, it’s doubly insultingwhen you have to pay a tax to acattle lobby you do not believe in.There is no sense complaining

about something you can’t con-trol. You should use that energyin a positive manner to be suc-cessful in spite of the governmentand the cattle lobby.There are a few outfits here in

Arizona that still run a wagon andI’m glad they do. However, thosebig ranches that do that areowned by large corporations andare used as tax havens. Theremay be a few private ranches thatrun a wagon, but I’m not awareof them.The good things that corpora-

tion owned ranches bring to cow-boys are better wages, an insur-ance plan, a more stable workingenvironment, and better workingconditions. We that are tradition-al may not want to see corpora-tion owned ranches, but many ofour family and friends are doingwell working for them. This hasbeen a big adjustment for tradi-tional cowboys. However, cow-boys are still getting hired andnot eliminated all together.One eye opening experience

you can have is visiting an agri-cultural university and see what

they are teaching. The coursesare now geared much more togetting a good job working for anag corporation than they aretoward starting up your ownranch. It would be nice to see acourse in catching wild cattle ortying wild cattle to trees at TexasA&M.The realization is that govern-

ment doesn’t want you workingfor yourself anymore. Somehowyou are supposed to fit into thesystem and behave yourself.There are no differences in trad-ing television sets on a computeror trading cattle on a computer.We normally are ranchersbecause we like the lifestyle andthe freedom that it brings. Thereare bigger powers at work thatdon’t want you to have that free-dom.Like those first astronauts that

went to the moon we ranchersand cowboys have to be very ded-icated to what we do. We have tobe so dedicated that we have tofind new ways to survive whenforces are against you. Being agambler also helps as you aregambling with your well being,sanity, and livelihood. We maynot be on the moon, but it cer-tainly feels like it compared toranching just twenty years ago.Keep going forward and “MayThe Horse Be With You”!

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BY BARRY DENTON

Icertainly enjoyed astronautsand thought I was going to beone for the longest time.When I was a boy the “Space

Age” was just beginning and whata marvel it was.Now that I have seen much of

the equipment the astronautsused, what they accomplished iseven more astonishing. Beingpropelled by several hundred gal-lons of jet fuel and located in abucket of bolts is just not toosophisticated.I happen to have a friend that

spent over twenty years of hiscareer as a rocket scientist devel-oping the engines for the Lunar

Module. He is perhaps one of thesmartest people I know and he isamazed at what did not go wrongon that moon landing. The bot-tom line is that our astronautswere brave hardy Americans thatliked to gamble because the riskwas worth the prize.Our ranch here in Arizona was

started in 1945 by my in-laws.They were tough hardy peoplewith a vision of the future. Theirgoal was to build a cattle ranchknown for having the best stockyou could find. These hardy folksbought a run down ranch with aninherited string of pearls put upas collateral at the bank. Withsome money they had saved upthey were able to seek out some

21st Century Cowboyin’

Texas experienced a net loss of nearly 1.1 millionacres of privately owned farms, ranches andforests from 1997 to 2012, continuing the trendof rural land conversion and fragmentation in

Texas, according to Dr. Roel Lopez, director of theTexas A&M Institute of Renewable NaturalResources.“This dramatic loss and fragmentation of privately

owned farms, ranches and forests — also known asworking lands — is affecting the state’s ruraleconomies. The conservation of water and other natu-ral resources is also being affected, as is the nation’snational and food security,” said Lopez during a recentland and water forum in Austin. “Privately owned farms, ranches and forests

account for 83 percent of the land in Texas and areincreasingly threatened by suburbanization, ruraldevelopment and land fragmentation driven by rapidpopulation growth,” he said. “More than 54 percent ofthis land conversion was related to development asso-ciated with population expansion in the state’s 25highest growth rate counties. During this period,approximately 590,000 acres were lost from the agri-cultural land base in these counties.”Lopez presented these and other key findings from

a new Texas Land Trends study at “No Land, NoWater: Tools and Strategies for Conserving Land toProtect Water Resources,” sponsored by theTexasAgricultural Land Trust.The report describes recent changes in ownership

size, land use and property values of private farms,ranches and forests in Texas from 1997 to 2012.Developed by the institute, Texas Land Trends,http://txlandtrends.org, is an interactive website anddatabase detailing current land use trends within thestate. It also shows the impacts of rural land loss andfragmentation on water, agriculture and other naturalresources. Todd Snelgrove, associate director of the institute,

said the goal of Texas Land Trends is to provide publicand private decision-makers with information needed

to plan for the conservation of Texas farms, ranchesand forests. “Texas Land Trends is a critically important data

source for policy makers, conservation organizations,state agencies and federal agencies in terms of lookingat what is happening to our land base in Texas,” hesaid. Blair Fitzsimons, chief operating officer for the land

trust, agreed. “Farms, ranches and forests in Texas areundergoing a fundamental change, and Texas LandTrends provides a valuable source of information foranyone in the natural resources community,” she said. “Through Texas Land Trends, we have been able to

raise awareness that ‘Yes, we have a lot of land inTexas,’ but we are losing it at a faster rate than mostother states in the country, and that loss is having pro-found impacts on our agricultural base, our waterresources and our native wildlife habitat,” Fitzsimonssaid. Primary data sources for Texas Land Trends were

the Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts,which provided a 1997-2012 annual compilation ofland use and land value data from 1,021 independentschool districts, and the U.S. Department of Agricul-ture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Data fromthe U.S. Census Bureau, USDA National ResourcesInventory, and the U.S. Department of CommerceBureau of Economic Analysis-Regional EconomicInformation System were also used.Lopez said the institute will continue to release a

series of reports based on current tax appraisals andUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service data.All reports will be available on the Texas Land Trendswebsite at http://txlandtrends.org as they are pub-lished. Texas Land Trends was developed in cooperation

with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service and Texas AgriculturalLand Trust. It was funded by the Meadows Founda-tion, Houston Endowment, Mitchell Foundation,Hershey Foundation and AgriLife Extension.

Land Losses in Texas — 15-year Net Loss Exceeds One Million Acres


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Bottari Realty and AssociatesPAUL D. BOTTARI, BROKER

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BY TIMOTHY CAMA,

THEHILL.COM

The Obama administration ispulling out the stops torenew and expand a little-known program that uses

offshore drilling revenue for con-servation.The administration has

pushed Congress to triple theamount of money available forthe Land and Water Conserva-

tion Fund, which officials use toacquire land, build recreationfacilities and maintain parks. The program is likely to be

renewed before it expires nextyear, given the strong bipartisansupport for conservation, butPresident Obama’s push for afunding increase is meetingresistance.House Republicans say the

additional funding would bewasteful and allow the federal

government to unnecessarilysnatch up more private and stateland.“Just acquiring more and

more federal land that’s notreceiving the stewardship thatcan be provided to that land byeither private owners or states, Ifail to see the logic behind that,”said Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), a member of the House

The National Western StockShow has named Philip F.Anschutz the 2015 Citizen ofthe West, an award that rec-

ognizes those who embody thespirit and determination of theWestern pioneer and perpetuatethe West’s agricultural heritageand ideals. Anschutz, entrepreneur and

philanthropist, has had a majorimpact on many institutions in thestate of Colorado. He will receivethe award on January 12, 2015 atthe National Western Events Cen-ter. A committee of communityleaders selects the recipient. Pro-ceeds from the event support 80college scholarships awardedannually by the National WesternScholarship Trust. “There is no one I know more

deserving of the title Citizen of theWest than Phil Anschutz,” said2014 honoree Fred Hamilton. “Heis a great guy and has done morefor the city, the state and theRocky Mountain region than anyother person. His generosity andphilanthropy are boundless.” Anschutz, 74, is a native of

Kansas who comes from a farmingand ranching background. Hefounded The Anschutz Corpora-tion in 1965. It has achieved suc-cess in the fields of transportation,

natural and renewable resources,communications, lodging, sports,entertainment and real estate. Hestarted the Anschutz Foundationin 1983 and remains chairman ofits board. The Foundation’s sup-port has been crucial to innumer-able community, cultural andhealth-related initiatives. Among the Foundation’s many

notable efforts are contributionsthat led to the naming of the Uni-versity of Colorado AnschutzMedical Campus in 2006. It is oneof the leading health-care facilitiesin the world and one of the onlyhealth-care campuses in the nationthat brings together clinical, edu-cational and research activities onone site. The campus is home toCU’s schools of medicine, phar-macy, nursing and dental medi-cine, University of Colorado Hos-pital and Children’s HospitalColorado. While the campus is stillunder development, a study bySammons/Dutton LLC, an eco-nomic research firm, estimates thesite at full development will consistof 18.5 million square feet, employ44,600 people and contribute $4.3billion in personal income and$11.5 billion in total economicoutput annually.“We expect the Anschutz Med-

ical Campus in the next five or six

Philip F. Anschutz named 2015 Citizen of the West

Administration seeks $900M for conservation program

years will be the second largesteconomic generator in the RockyMountain Area, behind DIA.”said Tom Clark, CEO of theMetro Denver Economic Devel-opment Corp.“Phil’s vision and commitment

have been transformational inmaking CU’s Anschutz MedicalCampus a leading health-care des-tination where people fromaround the world come for thebest and the latest in treatment,”said University of Colorado Presi-dent Bruce Benson. “In a shorttime the campus has become aworld leader in research and clini-cal care in areas including healthand wellness, precision medicine,

ophthalmology, cancer, Alzhei-mer’s disease, pediatrics and oth-ers. He was also instrumental inestablishing CeDAR, an outstand-ing facility for treatment of alcoholand drug addiction, on our cam-pus.”Anschutz’ philanthropic efforts

go beyond health care andresearch. According to TomPetrie, Chairman of Petrie Part-ners and founder of the PetrieInstitute of Western American Artat the Denver Art Museum, “Philhas made significant contributionsthat have enriched the culturalenvironment of Colorado. Mostnotably, his establishment of theAmerican Museum of Western

Art at the iconic Navarre Buildingrepresents the greatest survey ofAmerican Western Art assembledover the past four decades. It spot-lights a comprehensive array ofthe best works of our country’smost accomplished artists of thelast two centuries. The AMWA isavailable to teach about the histo-ry of Western Art and the evolu-tion of the American West.”In addition to his business and

philanthropic endeavors, Anschutzhas served in the past on variousboards and committees of charita-ble, civic, industry, financial andsports-related organizations.Anschutz and his wife Nancy

live in Denver.

continued on page nine


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To place your Real Estate Guide listings, contact RANDY SUMMERS at 505/243-9515 or RON ARCHERat 505/865-6011

Philip F. Anschutz named 2015 Citizen of the West

Administration seeks $900M for conservation program

Natural Resources Committee.“I just don’t see it happening. I don’t see

full funding,” she said.Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has led

the administration’s promotional effortsfor the fund. While touring the country,she was joined at times by agency leadersother federal officials, lawmakers, state orlocal officials.In addition to renewing the 50-year-old

program, Jewell wants access to the full$900 million annual budget it is supposed tohave. Revenue from offshore oil and gasdrilling deposits $900 million into the fundevery year, but congressional appropriatorshave only given the Interior Departmentand the Forest Service one-third of that,amounting to $305.5 million in fiscal 2014.Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), another

member of the Natural Resources panel,said he wants to see the conservation pro-gram renewed with the entire fund madeavailable.

“It’s very important that we do that,” hesaid. “This is something that used to be verybipartisan, still should be.”Huffman balked at proposals he said

would add “ideological baggage” to the pro-gram, such as restricting the government’sability to acquire more land. Federal offi-cials can also use the fund to establish con-servation easements on private property.Prospects for a funding increase look bet-

ter in the Senate.Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Lind-

sey Graham (R-S.C.) have signed onto a billwith 40 Democrats that would renew thefund indefinitely and give federal officialsaccess to the full $900 million.“It is something that Republicans should

embrace, and it’s good for the country,”Graham said. Even though Graham and Burr are the

only Republican supporters of the measure,Graham said it’s something conservativescould get behind.

“It’s a good approach: preserving land,rewarding the private sector when they doit.”Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is also work-

ing toward giving the conservation programthe full funding amount.“I’m a very strong supporter of it, and I’m

working on both a temporary effort andmaking it permanent,” he said. Wydendeclined to provide details of his proposal,saying he and his colleagues are still hashingit out.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said

the program is ripe for a vote during thelame-duck session after the midterm elec-tions, even though it won’t expire until Sep-tember of next year.Some senators are against a funding

increase. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she

supports the fund, especially the money setaside to help states with their own conserva-tion efforts but said budget constraints

should argue against an increase.“It’s all fabulous, but where are you going

to get the money to pay for it? What I’d liketo do is, instead of using so much money tobuy more land, let’s figure out a way we’regoing to take care of what we’ve got.”Alan Rowsome, who leads the Wilder-

ness Society’s advocacy efforts for land pro-grams, predicted that the conservation pro-gram would be renewed with full fundingafter the election.“We’re working with members on both

sides of the aisle for opportunities in thelame duck and believe that the program isso supportive to local communities that itreally does need to be reauthorized,” hesaid.“It has a 50-year history of an incredible

track record of land conservation around thecountry that has led to livable urban com-munities, as well as additions to some of themost iconic national parks, wildlife refugesand national forests around the country.”


Conservation Program continued from page eight


For advertising, subscription and editorial inquiries write or call:

Livestock Market Digest P.O. Box 7458, Albuquerque, N.M. 87194Telephone: 505/243-9515

by Jim Olson

The legend started in Texas,but soon grew across theWest. The legend was

Booger Red, who reportedlycould ride any bronc alive!There are so many storiesabout Booger Red that it issometimes hard to separatefact from fiction. One writer

wrote, “It is estimated he rodebetween 25,000 to 40,000broncs in his life.” Well, sincehe was fifty-nine when he died,that would be an average of424 to 678 per year for everyyear of his life, or one to twobroncs per day for every day helived!Across the West there are

bars, eateries, shops, buckingand even breeding horsesnamed after him. The legendof Booger Red continues togrow to this day, even thoughmost do not know who he real-ly was.Samuel Thomas Privett was

born in Williamson County,Texas on December 29, 1864into a ranching family. Hisfather, Sam Privett Sr., movedthe family to Erath County,Texas when young Sam wassix. There they established theSP ranch.According to rodeo histori-

an, Willard Porter, “At ten,while gathering wild horses forhis father, young Privett wasnearly captured by Indians. Heescaped by securing his rope toa stout bush and lowering him-self into a cave. At twelve, hewas already a bronc buster ofconsiderable reputation in hisarea.” He was known as “thatRedheaded Kid Bronc Rider”because of his flaming red hair.Another event involving the

local Indians puts young Priv-ett in a rock throwing battlewith some of them. They saythe only thing saved his skinthat day was the appearance ofsome of his father’s cowhandswho helped put the odds inSam’s favor. His father report-edly had trouble with the Indi-ans over that event for sometime to come�and was not hap-py about it.Something happened when

Privett was only thirteen yearsof age that forever changed hislife. A person of lessor spiritmay have lived a life, wallow-ing in self-pity had this hap-pened to them. But he madethe best of a bad situationinstead.Young Sam and another kid

were playing around with gun-powder. They packed a hole ina tree stump full of it, intend-ing to make a sort of fireworksdisplay for Christmas. Howev-er, the gunpowder ignited,badly burning Privett’s face

Samuel Thomas Privett The Legend of Booger Red

My Cowboy Heroes(the blast reportedly killedSam’s friend). On the way tothe doctor, another youngsterjumped up in the wagon to geta look at “Red” and comment-ed, “Gee, Red sure is a boogernow, ain’t he?”It took several months for

his badly burned face to heal.His lips, nostrils and areaaround his eyes were disfiguredfrom burning. People keptcommenting that Red was sure“Boogered” up. He took thecomments good naturedly how-ever, and even started callinghimself, “Booger Red, the ugli-est man alive.” From then on,folks just knew him as BoogerRed. He did not care about thenickname, or the fact he wasdisfigured, he decided to let hisuncanny ability riding broncsspeak for him.By the time he was fifteen,

his father had died (his motherpassed before) and Booger Redmoved to West Texas where hehad an uncle. He started ridingbroncs for a living on bigranches there. It was not longtill his reputation spread. Hewas a top hand where it cameto bronc riding.At one point, he was hired

by the US army to break hors-es. They started off paying him“by the head,” but soon learnedhe could ride way to manybroncs in a day and his pay-check was off the charts. TheArmy then switched him to aregular salary.During this time period,

Booger Red won many contestsand side bets for his ability toride the bad ones. He also metand married Mollie Webb. Thecouple had seven childrentogether. They purchased aranch near San Angelo, Texaswith money gained from ridingbroncs.It has been said that Red

had a standing offer of $100(some rumors even say $500)to anyone who could bring ahorse who could buck him off.Legend has it, he never had topay off. One such horsebrought for him to ride was abad bronc from Montana. Herode the horse to a standstill atthe San Angelo Fair. After-wards, Red purchased thehorse and named him “Mon-tana Gyp.”With this horse, Red started

his own Wild West Show, the“Booger Red Wild West Show.”For many years during the ear-ly 1900s, Red and Mollie puton Wild West Shows wherethey and their children wouldperform. Red’s bronc ridingexhibitions were always the starattraction.Fog Horn Clancy, an early-

day announcer, writer and con-temporary of Reds, once wrote,

“Booger Red was the origina-tor of looking back on a buck-ing horse. Up to that timebronc riders either had to, orthought that they had to, keeptheir eyes right on their buck-ing mount and try to antici-pate in advance the way theanimal was going to jumpnext, but Booger just seemedto get in time with the buck-ing bronc and would look overhis shoulder and make jokeswith spectators while thehorse was bucking. For morethan a quarter century, Redwas regarded as the greatestbronc rider in the world.”After several years of put-

ting on Wild West Shows,Booger Red took the opportu-nity to disburse his companyamong some of the larger pro-ductions then touring. Heknew the smaller, familyowned operations, were athing of the past. He andMollie then hired out theirtalents and performed forsome of the better-knownWild West productions includ-ing the Miller Bros., BuffaloBill and Tom Mix. Boogercontinued to ride broncs inexhibition all the way up intothe 1920s. It got so that spec-tators were not satisfied with ashow unless Red put on abronc riding show. Having hisname on the program was def-initely a draw.Along the way, the Privett

family moved to Miami, Okla-homa, where he lived until hisdeath. He is one of the fewmen who actually became alegend in his own time. AsRed got older, his bronc ridingexhibitions slowed down a bit,but not by much. He was atimeless bronc rider.In 1924, at the Fort Worth

Stock Show and Rodeo, Redwas attending the rodeo as aspectator. He witnessed a badbronc toss his rider high intothe sky. The crowd then start-ing hollering that “Booger Redcould ride that horse” andchanting, “Bring on Booger!”So Booger Red jumped overthe fence and appeared in thearena, much to the delight ofthe crowd.The horse was caught again

and brought around forBooger to ride, which he did�to a standstill. At fifty-nineyears of age, he could still out-ride the younger cowboys onthe baddest of horses.Folks who witnessed that

ride could not tell it, but Red’shealth had been failing him bythen. He suffered fromBright’s Disease (Kidney Dis-ease) and actually died from ita few weeks after his famouslast ride. On his death bed, hetold his family, “Always behonest for it pays in the longrun. Have all the fun you canwhile you live for when youare dead, you are a long timedead.”The great Booger Red died

in March of 1924. SamuelThomas “Booger Red” Privettwas posthumously inductedinto the National Cowboy andWestern Heritage MuseumRodeo Hall of Fame in 1975.


Livestock Photographer,Kathy McCraine was select-ed as the Featured Artist forthe 26th annual Cowboy

Classics Western Art & GearShow held in conjunction withthe 67th Arizona National Live-stock Show December 27-31,2014. Born in Texas, Kathy

McCraine grew up on a ranch atWalnut Grove, after moving toArizona at the age of nine in1958. She has been involved withranching work, writing about it,and photographing it all her life.On graduation from the Uni-

versity of Arizona in 1971 with adegree in journalism and minor inart, she wrote for and edited sev-eral livestock publications, includ-ing the Record Stockman, WesternLivestock Journal, and BrangusJournal. When she and her hus-band, Swayze, moved toWoodville, Mississippi to takeover his family ranch in 1978, shefounded one of the first advertis-ing agencies to specialize in live-stock. There she utilized herranching background to becomea successful livestock photogra-pher.After the McCraines moved to

Arizona in 1984 to be involved inher family’s ranch, she continuedthat business, and also edited theArizona Cattlelog and ArizonaQuarter Horse. From 1993-95 shepublished the Arizona Ranchermagazine, a bi-monthly devotedto the Arizona cattle and horseindustries. She also helped editand illustrate Keepers of the Range,the 100-year history of the Ari-zona Cattle Growers’ Associa-tion. In addition, she wrote andphotographed two chapters forthe Western Horseman book, Leg-endary Ranches.Over the years, Kathy pub-

lished three cookbooks, illustratedwith art and photography, includ-ing Cow Country Cooking: Recipesand Tales from Northern Arizona’sHistoric Ranches. The book wonthe Will Rogers Medallion Awardand was named a SouthwestBook of the Year in 2010.As a freelance journalist and

photographer, Kathy’s photosand/or stories have been pub-lished in such magazines as West-ern Horseman, Arizona Highways,Range, Cowboys & Indians, Ranch& Reata, Thunderbird Alumni Mag-azine, Acadiana Profile, and Lati-na. Her photos have been includ-

ed in exhibits such as “Trappingsof the American West” at theMuseum of Northern Arizona,“Click – The West Through theLens” at the Phippen Museum,and “Cowgirls with a Camera” atthe Desert Caballeros Museum.Today Kathy and Swayze own

and operate Campwood CattleCompany near Prescott, wherethey run about 1,200 commercialcows and stockers, and raise reg-istered Quarter Horses.For over 20 years, Kathy has

had the privilege of photograph-ing on some of Arizona’s biggestoutfits, including the O RORanch, Babbitt Ranches, andDiamond A’s. Her background asa rancher has enabled her to real-istically capture a way of life thatis rapidly changing, and express itartistically through her photogra-phy, with a goal of documentingand preserving the heritage ofArizona ranching.Kathy will be honored Decem-

ber 27th at the Opening NightEvent of the Arizona NationalLivestock Show and her art fea-tured in the Cowboy ClassicsWestern Art & Gear ShowDecember 28-31, 2014 at the Ari-zona State Fairgrounds.

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that were worthy of his museum. We picked up a lot of flat tires

and flotation cushions that flewout of boats. We also picked upStudebaker hubcaps andchromed car graffiti that wouldbe worth a fortune today oneBay. We also found some weirdstuff like a chicken coop (empty)and handgun (not empty). Weeven found a watch that hadprobably followed a beer can outthe window when the passengerthrew it. Speaking of beer, that’smostly what we picked up, emp-ty cans of Olympia, Falstaff,Schlitz and Pabst Blue Ribbon.We found prophylactics

(unused), baby diapers (used),bed springs, tire irons and bro-ken car jacks, no doubt flungaside by an angry motorist. Oncewe even found a garbage dispos-al, which seems redundant.There were broken Thermos bot-tles and furniture that myGrandpa just couldn’t abidebeing trashed. We even found abunch of mail once that musthave been discarded by a lazypostman who wanted to take therest of the day off. It only took

one day a year for us FFA mem-bers to know all the town secretsbecause we had looked throughits collective trash.The biggest prizes for my

Grandpa were license plates andhe had quite a collection.Although he was a little overag-gressive and premature in oneinstance when a driver whocouldn’t wait for the next reststop came out of an orchardafter answering nature's call andfound Grandpa unscrewing thelicense plates on his old and bat-tered Chevy Nova. Talk aboutroad rage! Grandpa was also constantly

on the lookout for road signs andhe always claimed to have onlytaken ones that were laying onthe ground, although in somecases he had to lean mighty hardon the post to get them there.I am constantly reminded of

the all good being done by FFAchapters all across the countrybecause I inherited most of myGrandpa’s belongings and if itwasn’t for FFA roadside cleanup,my wife and I would be living inan unfurnished house.

Riding Herd continued from page one

By Frank DuBois

My column asks, “are we underattack or what?”Are we under attack?

The answer is “yes” and let mebegin to count the ways:n n The Forest Service hasissued a policy directive on

Groundwater Resource Manage-ment. The directive would claimthat surface water and groundwa-ter are “hydraulically interconnect-ed” and allow the agency to objectto state-regulated projects on“adjacent” land that might harmgroundwater. The New MexicoState Engineer has testified beforeCongress that this is a violation ofstate water law and several wellestablished Supreme Court deci-sions.

n The EPA and Army Corps ofEngineers have proposed regula-tions that would give them controlover not only “navigable” waters,but in addition control over ditch-es, canals and wet spots. AFBFPresident Bob Stallman says theproposal is a serious threat tofarmers, ranchers and otherlandowners. “Under EPA’s pro-posed rule, waters — even ditches— are regulated even if they aremiles from the nearest ‘navigable’waters,” Stallman said. “Indeed,so-called ‘waters’ are regulated

even if they aren’t wet most of thetime. EPA says its new rule willreduce uncertainty, and that muchseems to be true: there isn’t muchuncertainty if most every featurewhere water flows or stands after arainfall is federally regulated.”

n The U.S Fish and WildllifeService has proposed a huge expan-sion of the area in New Mexico andArizona where the Mexican GreyWolf would be protected. TheChairman of the Arizona GameCommission says he is “profoundlydisappointed” in the proposal andadds that resistance by ranchers,hunters and residents of the townsin the expanded wolf recovery areacould doom the program.

n Under a rule finalized by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicejaguars will have 1,194 square milesof critical habitat in southern Ari-zona and New Mexico for theirrecovery. The Arizona Game andFish Department does not supportthe designation. Assistant Directorfor Wildlife Management JimdeVos states, “I find it difficult tojustify designating critical habitatfor a species that is so rarely foundin Arizona. In looking at the avail-able data on the presence ofjaguars, there has been no docu-mentation of a female jaguar in Ari-zona for nearly a century. Therehave been long periods when no

jaguar was even found in the state.Such designations should be basedon good science and effective con-servation, which are both lackingwith this designation.”

n The President issued a procla-mation to create the 243,000 acreRio Grande del Norte NationalMonument. Rather than followingthe precedent in previous procla-mations, this one contained new,discriminatory language againstlivestock grazing in spite of writtentestimony provided by New Mexi-co livestock organizations.

n The President issued a procla-mation to create the 496,000 acreOrgan Mountains-Desert PeaksNational Monument in southernNew Mexico, again containing theanti-grazing language. In addition,the designation creates problemsfor law enforcement and flood con-trol efforts, and was opposed bythe Las Cruces Chamber of Com-merce, the Hispano Chamber ofCommerce, the Sheriff of DoñaAna County, the Mesilla ValleySportsmen’s Alliance and manyother groups.

n The Environmental Protec-tion Agency, in response to a Free-dom of Information Act request,publicly released to three environ-mental groups a huge database ofpersonal information about thou-sands of livestock producers andtheir families in 29 states. Thedatabase included the names ofthe producers and other familymembers, home addresses, GPScoordinates, telephone numbersand emails.

n The Bureau of Land Manage-ment has issued a managementplan for the Sabinoso Wilderness in

BY JULIE CARTER

The initial gut-wrenchingshock has worn off overthe course of the pastyear, but the financial

and emotional impact to thegrazing allotment owners inthe U.S. Forest Service Moun-tainair District may never befar from the raw edge that it isstill today.In the February 2014 issue

of the New Mexico Stockman,Frank DuBois wrote “TheCibola Controversy” detailingthe devastating June 11, 2013order to 19 allotment ownersfor the blanket removal of live-stock from the entire Moun-tainair grazing district “due tosevere drought conditions.”The letter from District RangerKaren Lessard came in themail with no meaningful dis-cussion a clear mandate thatthere was no appeal processavailable to the allotment own-ers. They were given approxi-mately six weeks to completelyvacate their allotments.The Mountainair District is

made up of two separatemountain ranges. The Gallinasrange is to the southeast of

Mountainair blanketing thecounty line between Lincolnand Torrance County. TheManzanos run north fromMountainair and are primarilyin Torrance County with rela-tively small parts spilling overinto Valencia and BernalilloCounties.The unilateral decision for

complete livestock removalattributed to “drought” in sucha vast area made no logicalsense and ultimately would befound to have no basis in docu-mentable science. Neverbefore in the history of theMountainair District or pre-sumably in the state of NewMexico had a district-wideremoval been ordered and cer-tainly not without at least someindividual area assessments.

And then it rainedMike and Loretta Sanchez

have spent their entire marriedlife (37 years) building theircattle herd to the point theycould be proud of the uniformconformation, fertility and har-diness bred into them. It onlytook one “by my authority asthe District Ranger” letter toundo those decades of plan-

ning and sacrifice.“It completely destroyed

me,” said a frustrated MikeSanchez sitting at the table inhis home tucked up against theGallinas and surrounded byU.S. Forest land. “Right nowwe are fighting to survive, but Idon’t know if we are going tomake it.”Sanchez’s Gallinas Springs

Ranch, home to four genera-tions of the family, is com-prised of 18,000 acres of U.S.Forest and 320 acres of pri-vate. The 244 head of cattleallowed by his grazing permithad already been substantiallyreduced during the previoustwo years of drought. The allot-ment grazing numbers repre-sented 90 percent of Sanchez’stotal operation.“And if they’d told us to cut

down more,” said Loretta, “wewould have. But to just movethem all off was the end of us.We didn’t have anywhere to gowith the cattle. ”Mike Sanchez added, “We

had plenty of forage to wait forthe rains that, if they weregoing to come, would come a

Irreparable damages CibolaControversy one year later

continued on page thirteen

continued on page thirteen


northern New Mexico. Senator Udall and other mem-bers of the New Mexico Congressional Delegationpushed for this designation, with Senator Udall sayingthe Wilderness “will now be open for grazing, huntingand other recreational uses.” Most recently, however,Senator Heinrich tells us, “It’s surrounded by privateland and there is currently no legal access — not somuch as an easement for a trail” and “It’s completelylandlocked by private land.“ As a result, the Bureau ofLand Management has proposed that as condition oftheir grazing permit the ranchers must grant publicaccess across their private property. The BLM has theauthority to condemn private property to gain accessto federal land, but then they would have to pay for it.

nAs a result of an out-of-court settlement, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the New Mexi-co jumping mouse as endangered, and identifiedalmost 200 linear miles along streams in New Mexico,Arizona and Colorado as critical habitat. The ForestService is constructing eight foot high pipe fences torestrict livestock access to water, saying “livestock graz-ing has the potential to jeopardize the species.” NewMexico ranchers have filed a lawsuit challenging thefederal government’s moves to block cattle from reach-ing water in order to protect the habitat of the mouseand doing so without finalizing the critical habitat des-ignation nor completing a required environmentalanalysis.

n The Mountainair District of the Cibola NationalForest ordered the blanket removal of all livestockbased on a weather map and without performing anytype of range analysis on the nineteen allotmentsinvolved. Five months later and after the appropriate

on-the-ground analysis was completed, the ForestService recanted and allowed the return of livestock.However, the economic damage to the ranch familieshad already occurred and relations and respect for theForest Service had been permanently wounded.

n The Secretary of Interior issued an order directingthe Bureau of Land Management to inventory all landswith wilderness characteristics, administratively desig-nate them as “Wild Lands”, and take action to protectthem during the planning process. After a storm ofprotest from Congress, Western Governors and vari-ous user groups, the Secretary withdrew the order.However, that has not stopped the BLM from imple-menting the policy. Current BLM land use plans areincorporating the lands with wilderness characteristicsconcept and has changed their field manuals accord-ingly.

n The First Lady, first with reforms to the SchoolLunch Program, and now through changes to the Sup-plemental Nutrition Assistance Program (foodstamps), continues her anti-meat crusade. As of Junethere were 46 million folks on food stamps and 32 mil-lion kids in the School Lunch Program, all of whom aretouched by her efforts.This is just a partial list. But it’s a list you should

keep in mind as you saunter into the voting booth nextmonth.Till next time, be a nuisance to the devil and don’t

forget to check that cinch.

Frank DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, is theauthor of a blog: The Westerner (www.thewesterner.blogspot.com) and is thefounder of The DuBois Rodeo Scholarship (http://www.nmsu.edu/~dubois-rodeo/).

Under Attack continued from page twelve

Irreparable Damages continued from page twelve

little later in the summer. If theydidn’t, we’d have taken the cattleoff ourselves. This wasn’t ourfirst drought.”Adding salt to the fatal

wound, it rained two weeks afterthe order to remove went out.And it rained again and again.Inches of rain. By the time theJuly 30 deadline rolled aroundthere was a good stand of grass,tanks were full of water andthere were muddy roads to navi-gate in moving out the cattle.But still no reprieve, no reversal,no discussion ever came fromthe forest service.After many sleepless nights,

anguishing over what to do,Mike Sanchez took the moneyhe got for his cattle, sold in a lowmarket flooded with cattle fromdrought stricken ranches, andbought a semi-truck to beginhauling cattle. He had to make aliving for his family.“I am angry, really angry,”

Mike said. “I’m very bitter.We’ve tried to restock a little butthe money isn’t there. The pricesare now three times higher tobuy than what we sold for. It’svery depressing to go to the saleand see what cattle are bringingnow, knowing what we had tosell ours for. And now I’m sup-posed to be friends with them(Forest Service) and act likenothing has happened?”Six months later, after meet-

ings, range assessments, letters,resolutions from both Torranceand Lincoln County Commis-sions opposing the order toremove, support from three Soiland Water Conservation Dis-tricts and intervention fromCongressman Steve Pearce andCongresswoman Michelle LujanGrisham, an authorization forthe return of the livestock to theallotments was given.

Financial devastationBob and Diane Hudgens

have run cattle for 15 years onwhat was the Joe Atkinson per-mit in the Gallinas. By 2013 theyhad already voluntarily cut theirnumbers from the 245 allowedon the allotment to 120 due todrought conditions. Then the let-ter from Ranger Lessard came inthe mail.“There was no discussion, no

warning, no opportunity for anyinput from us,” Bob said. “They(the Forest Service) had no valuefor our opinion or to hear theplans we had for surviving thedrought. They never asked. Itwas very difficult to acceptknowing that there was neverany science involved in the deci-sion on the part of the ForestService. Ranchers assess their

range every day. It’s how theysurvive.”Because of the general

drought in the state, there wasno place to go with the cattle. “Idid find a little farm land so Icould keep a very few head, butmost of those pairs went for$1100 and it will take threetimes that to replace them now.”The Hudgens said this has

been financially devastating tothem. Had they been able to pre-dict the surge in the cattle market,they would have done things dif-ferently. “We worked so hard tojust maintain during the droughtand then to get that letter with norecourse to us, it completelyundid all we worked for.”

Recovery will take yearsRand Perkins cares for the

DuBois Family allotment wherethe obliteration is not just finan-cial, but in the years of buildinga herd with the desired genetictraits. “We had planned for

drought,” he said. “We were stillsupplemental feeding and knewthat if it didn’t rain when themonsoons usually come, we’dhave to cut numbers again.”Ironically, they gathered the

cattle for removal off the allot-ment in mud and shin-deepgrass. “It broke my heart,” saidRand. “It’ll take years to recover.A lot of years.”These three ranchers are rep-

resentative of several more withforest allotments in the Gallinasmountain range where droughthad not been absent but themonsoon rains quickly broughtforgiveness as ranchers know itwill do. Their science of survivalhas sustained them for decadesand yet was so easily erased withan unyielding directive.The losses in dollars and cents

quickly tally into the hundreds ofthousands dollars. There is noprice that can be put on thegrievous wounds to the spirit ofthe families that will now try tohang on to a way of life, a familyheritage.(Part 2 of this follow up from the

Mountainair district will be in theNovember 2014 Livestock MarketDigest.

Loretta and Mike Sanchez with son Frankie (far left) at ranch headquarters in front of themountainside razed by fire in 2004. Photo by Julie Carter


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California continues tobattle extreme drought,with water usage restric-tions being levied

throughout the state. Accord-ing to Henry Miller of theHoover Institution, it is agri-culture that is especiallyaffected by the problem. Ofall of the water consumed inCalifornia, farming uses 80percent of it.There is one technology

that could do much to lessenthe impact of the drought onCalifornia’s farmers: geneticengineering. Genetic engi-neering (also known as genet-ic modification, or GM) cantweak plant properties –including making crops moredrought-resistant by engineer-ing them to conserve morewater.But genetic engineering

has continuously faced strongopposition, despite the oppor-tunities that it offers. Millerprovides a few facts aboutGM:

n Over the past 20 years,over 3.7 billion acres of GMplants have been cultivated byover 17 million farmers world-wide, without causing a singleenvironmental or health prob-lem.

n Globally, the economic

benefits of GM farming haveamounted to $116.6 billionfrom 1996 to 2012.

n Herbicide-resistant GMplants allow farmers to plantcrops without plowing thesoil, reducing soil erosion andchemical runoff.

n No-till crops also reducethe use of farm equipment,thereby lowering carbon emis-sions. Shifting to GM cropsreduced carbon emissions by19.4 billion kilograms from1996 to 2012, equivalent toremoving 8.6 million carsfrom the road for one year.

n GM crops allow for highlevels of production thatwould otherwise require tensof millions of additional acresof land to achieve.The ability of GM plants to

become more drought-toler-ant, writes Miller, could bethe greatest achievement ofgenetic plant modification.Such GM varieties are able togrow using less, and lowerquality, water.Unfortunately, instead of

receiving widespread support,these technologies have beenmisrepresented and discredit-ed by the media, writesMiller.

Source: Henry I. Miller, “California’sDrought,” National Review, July 17, 2014

Genetic Engineering Can HelpFight the California Drought

BY NICK ASHCROFT, PH.D.,

EXTENSION RANGELAND

MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

“By failing to prepare, you arepreparing to fail.” �– BenjaminFranklin“If you don’t know where you

are going, you’ll end up someplaceelse.” –� Yogi Berra“The time to repair the roof is

when the sun is shining.” –� JohnF. Kennedy

Iam frequently asked aboutranch plans, or have been insituations where a ranch planwould have helped explain

resource conditions, pasture/grazing management, or ranchobjectives. Most ranchers havegoals and objectives, and a planin mind on how to manage theirlivestock and the land. Yet, domost ranchers formalize theirgoals, objectives and manage-ment plans by writing themdown? Increasingly, documen-tation of ranch plans is impor-tant on federal and private landsespecially as it relates toincreased federal regulationsand agency oversight regardingmanagement of naturalresources. Even in the absenceof federal regulations, writing aranch plan encourages ranchersto slow down and consider spe-cific objectives for infrastruc-ture, finance, livestock produc-tion, wildlife enterprises, andrange management in relation tooverall ranch goals, objectives

and operations. This newsletterwill attempt to address a few ofthese questions. My colleaguesand I are in the process of writ-ing a more comprehensive pub-lication about ranch plans thatwe hope to have available to yousoon. If you have experience orthoughts with ranch plans wewould be like to hear from you.Reasons for developing a

ranch plan:n You are the expert on your

ranch. A written plan helps youstick to that plan rather thanallowing externalities to dictatemanagement.

n Economic efficiency andprofit.

n Inform management andprovides direction.

n Encourages annual andconsistent documentationregarding budgets, naturalresource conditions, goals, andobjectives.

n May assist and inform asuccessor in ‘how the ranchis/was run’.

n Could be used to acquirefinancial credit.

n Required for federal graz-ing allotments [e.g., AllotmentManagement Plans (AMP),National Environmental PolicyAct (NEPA), EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA)].

n Inform and communicateto federal land managementagencies when managementchanges or analysis are required.

n Required for conservationprograms.

Ranch Planning –Where to Startn Required for federal-based

programs administered throughmultiple agencies on privatelands.A ranch plan can seem like a

daunting task. In fact, just know-ing where to start can be a chal-lenge. A simple approach to getstarted is to break it in to steps,make it a living document, usingit, modifying it, and improve it atregular intervals and the task willbe become second nature. Mostbusinesses have mission state-ments, goals and objectives –start with these. Write some-thing, think about it and reviewor modify it. We hear a lot aboutgoals and objectives, howevernot everyone may know the dif-ferences. Goals are an overarch-ing principle that guides decisionmaking. They are typically broad,general intentions that are intan-gible and difficult to measure.Objectives are accomplishableactions that are specific, mea-sureable, time constrained andby their completion lead toattaining a goal. Several objec-tives may need to be accom-plished to attain a goal. Develop-ing ranch goals and objectivesprovides a positive direction inthe ranch planning process andstabilizes ranch management.Note that plans change and byactively using your ranch planand making changes when need-ed, it will assist in improving effi-ciency of ranching operationsand attaining goals for the ranchbusiness.

Next gather or record histori-cal information on the ranch,many people know the history oftheir ranch, but few have writtenit down. This information shouldbe included throughout theranch plan to help explain whyconditions may exist, to docu-ment climate or management, ordemonstrate an improvement /degradation in resource condi-tions. You now want to developand inventory of the ranch and aphysical description of the ranch-ing operation. With current andhistorical information or datayou can begin to identify whereyou are now and what is neces-sary to accomplish new or exist-ing goals. Developing andaccomplishing objectives willbegin moving you towardsattaining ranch goals.Below are a series of ques-

tions you may ask to get startedand headed in the right direc-tion. Consider both the historicaland current conditions.What do you want the ranch

to look like in 5, 10, 20, or 50years?What is the land base for the

ranch? n Locational descriptionn General description of vege-

tation communitiesn How many deeded acres?

Federal acres? Leased acres? What are your management

options or restrictions on theselands?

continued on page fifteen

n Past and present manage-ment, Allotment ManagementPlans (AMPs).

n What other multiple usesmay affect the ranching opera-tion?

n How involved were you inthese plans and how do theywork with the current goals andobjectives?

n Existing right-of-ways?n Agreements or leases?What are the current and his-

toric conditions of the land?n Soils (sources: Soil Surveys,

Ecological Site Descriptions(ESDs), historical records ordata) http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/Home-Page.htm

– Soil typen Potential vegetationn Forage productionn Timber productionn Identify issues areas (exces-

sive erosion, toxic plants, inva-sive or noxious plant)

n Precipitation (sources: SoilSurveys, Ecological Site Descrip-tions (ESDs), historical recordsor data) http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/Home-Page.htm, http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/CLIMATEDATA.html– Annual average– Seasonal average– Fluctuations– Locations– Precipitation form (snow, rain)n Temperature– Highs and lows– Duration– Seasonal– Wind

n Other climate conditions –flooding, droughts etc.

n When does the ranchreceive precipitation and where(historical records)?

n How has vegetation

responded to historical precipita-tion?What are the natural

resources on these lands (forageproduction, timber, fuelwood,wildlife )?

n How has vegetationchanged on the ranch, whattrends have been observed?

n Current composition, pro-duction, condition, and cover ofvegetation.

n What are the current uses?n What is the potential vege-

tation for the soil type, slope,aspect, and climate?

n What is the forage trend bypasture or site?

n What areas have riparianvegetation types?

n What are the wildliferesources on the ranch?

n Has a wildlife enterprisebeen part of ranch diversifica-tion?

n Have there been changes inwildlife populations?

n Are there threatened or

endangered species?What water resources exist

and are available?n Location by pasture, water

type (spring, dirt tank, well, livewater).

n What are the priority datesof the water?

n What is the dependabilityand volume of each watersource?

n Have water rights been filedon the ranch?

n Where do water develop-ments need to berepaired/replaced?

n Where should new waterdevelopments be located?What have been the current

and historic grazing practices orgrazing systems of the ranch(seasons, timing, stocking rates,intensity, and duration)?

n Number and size of pas-tures

n When each pasture isgrazed and for how long (cur-rently and historically)


Ranch Planning continued from page fourteen

Many Texans are lookingforward to rebuilding theirherds, according to a sur-vey done by the Texas and

Southwestern Cattle Raisers Asso-ciation (TSCRA) marketing com-mittee. TSCRA members provided

information on herd reductions,rebuilding intentions and primary

rebuilding challenges. When askedabout plans for herd rebuilding,responses indicated that membersare positioning their operations forgrowth. If grazing and profitabilityconditions remain the same, 49percent of ranchers expect toincrease their herd size by an aver-age of 34 percent. If grazing and profitability con-

ditions were to improve, 65 percentof responding ranchers expect toincrease their herd size by an aver-age of 35 percent. If grazing prof-itability conditions were to decline, 65percent of respondents indicated theywould either make no changes to orincrease their herd size. When respondents were asked

to rank the most important factors

when making decisions about thesize of their breeding herds, theresults showed grass conditionscontinue to be the single largestlimiting factor. ninety-one percentof the respondents ranked grassconditions as one of the top twochallenges to future growth. wateravailability was second largest, as 44percent of the participating mem-

bers ranked water in their top twofactors. Most survey participants indi-

cated their herds are at 71percentof their 10-year average herd size.This is in-line with previous droughtsurveys in 2011. To view the TSCRA marketing

committee survey executive sum-mary, visit www.tscra.org

TSCRA survey indicates ranchers anticipating rebuilding

NRCS invites Latino farm-ers/ranchers to seek technicaland financial help

Information on the new FarmBill conservation opportunitiesis now available in Spanish, intime to help farmers plan for

the 2015 planting season. With thenew federal fiscal year that beganOctober 1st, a new round of fund-ing opportunities will open to allinterested farmers and ranchers.Under the new Farm Bill,

signed into law on February 7,2014, conservation programs weremodified slightly, streamlined, andextended to continue helpinglandowners and managers keeptheir farms and ranches—as wellas the natural resources—sustain-

able.“We welcome Latino and Lati-

na farmers and ranchers to comediscover the services and programswe offer,” says Carlos Suarez,State Conservationist for theUSDA’s Natural Resources Con-servation Service in California.“For over 75 years we have helpedfarmers keep their soil healthy andfertile, conserve and protect wateron their land, protect the quality ofwildlife habitat and the air webreathe, keep rangelands healthy,and more.” Today the need tocomply with many state, local andfederal environmental laws is anadditional burden that farmersface, and with which, NRCS canoften assist. Services through

NRCS are voluntary, free and arenot associated with regulatoryagencies or sanctions.Suarez says that last year, in

California alone, NRCS providedover $165 million to help farmerssolve conservation issues, achievehigh levels of stewardship, andestablish easements to protectfarmland, rangeland or wetlands.“Our technical services are avail-able to all. Projects are selected forfunding based on the environmen-tal benefits that will result. Farm-ers of all backgrounds, with farmsof all sizes—and whether or notyou own the land—are invited toapply for funding.”In general the funding helps

pay for about half of the cost of a

project. However, some farmerswill qualify for higher rates offunding. Those who have farmedless than ten years (called begin-ning farmers/ranchers) and thosewith limited financial resources(defined on a county-by-countybasis) may receive higher rates.NRCS employees will help

interested farmers obtain the cor-rect forms to get started. “Youneed to invest some time up front,but we have thousands of satisfied

customers who agree it is worththe investment,” says Suarez.“NRCS will work very hard tomatch farmers who need bilingualassistance with a technical expertthat is fluent in their language,”said Suarez.Farmers are invited to visit

NRCS soon to take advantage ofconservation planning assistanceand of the new round of fundingopportunities that begin October1st with the new fiscal year.

Farm Bill conservation information now available in Spanish

BY SHARON NIEDERMAN

When you listen to Cur-tis Fort tell a storyabout growing up onthe family ranch in

Tatum, NM, or working as aguide on the Vermejo, youthink, “There’s no way even BobWills could imitate that twang.This is the real deal. This fellowlives his talk.”That authentic cowboy

speech, with its singsong rhythmand way out west drawl express-es the genuine spirit that makeswestern art lovers fans of CurtisFort’s bronzes. His expressive,detailed figures simply seem toogood to be true.Blessed with a voice and

character that loves to tell sto-ries, this self-taught master puts

all his God-given natural story-telling abilities plus some intohis artwork. He traces his ownartistic development throughsome key memories, recallingthe seemingly chance events inhis life that are like links, oneright after another, in the chainof his destiny. While he original-ly intended to be a cowboy likehis dad, his ability to depictcowboys, Indians, wildlife, andranch life with uncanny realismin a distinctive style has shapedhis life into that of an artist.“Every kid tries to do art,” he

says. “I loved to look at bankcalendars with Charlie Russellpictures. My first book on Rus-sell was a present from my par-ents around 1958. He has con-tinued to build a collection ofbooks that he uses for his

research.After the drought of the early

50s passed, his family took theironly vacation, when he wasabout ten or eleven. He’d neverseen a bronze until they went tothe Buffalo Bill Museum inCody, Wyoming on that vaca-tion. “I was just enthralled,” hesays.“Then about nine years later,

when I was at New MexicoState University in Las Cruces, Ivisited Don Case and saw abronze on a stand at his homeand asked about it. When hetold me he’d made it, I askedhim, “How did you make it?”“You just sculpt the clay,” he

told me.From then on, Curtis spent

every spare minute working withclay. He had another revelation

when Don invited him to comewith him to the foundry atSedona, Arizona in 1969 to seethe clay cast into bronze. Therehe met artist Joe Beeler, work-ing in the foundry. “I was soimpressed with him,” Curtisrecalls. “He was so down toearth. He invited us to his stu-dio,” a place that opened yetanother world of possibility.His success is as homegrown

and natural as his work itself,one thing just effortlessly lead-ing to the next as people in aposition to appreciate what hewas doing continued to fall inlove with his work and supportit.While studying for his Bache-

lor of Science in Range Manage-ment at NMSU, Curtis workedsummers at the Bell Ranch.“That was good times,” heremembers. At the Bell, heearned his first commissionfrom Don Hoffman, and he wasfinally able to get a piece of hisown clay sculpture cast in Lub-bock. “I finally got something inmetal!” he says.Then, around 1973, friends in

Roy helped him get his firstshow, at Harriet DeLissio’s giftshop in Raton. While in Raton,he called the Vermejo Ranch,where he was offered a job start-ing Sept. 5, 1973. His yearsthere as a hand and a guideintroduced him to collectors.His work was popular with thehunters he guided. “Those Ver-mejo contacts helped out,” hesays. “Many of those connec-tions made back then have con-tinued over the years.”He got his big break while at

the Vermejo, when writer JohnNeary came to the ranch to do astory about the place. Nearyfeatured Curtis’ work in an arti-cle in Smithsonian Magazine inNov., 1975. Curtis still getscomments from people whoremember seeing that story.

After a few more years, Cur-tis decided to choose a life ofmaking a living as an artist overranching, though he continuesto “punch cow now and then”for friends and neighbors. Heand wife Carol, his businessmanager, live on the familyranch in Tatum.His work has been exhibited

in the Panhandle Plains Histori-cal Museum, Canyon, Texas,The Museum of the Big Bend,Alpine, TX, Western HeritageMuseum Complex, Hobbs,NM, and is featured in manywestern publications. It is cer-tainly familiar to anyone whoregularly sees the New MexicoStockman. He also wrote a seriesof columns for three-and-a-halfyears, in a vivid cowboy voice,about ranch life for the Stock-man. Those columns are nowbeing collected for an anthologyto be published by OklahomaUniversity Press.Branding, bronc busting,

mama cows and calves, are allfavorite subjects of his.“I love history, hunting,

wildlife, and Native America,”he says. “I try to portray theworking cowboy. It’s a real com-pliment when someone says,“Now that’s exactly the way itis,” of my work. I want to por-tray cowboy life.”Fort likes to render scenes

that “tell a story” and is a suckerfor history. “I like to put historyin a piece,” he says. “But it’s likeputting too much matting on apicture—you can overdo it. Ifound out doing sculpture, youcan get authentic in the cloth-ing, but if you can capture afeel, a feeling, where there’ssome feel to it, that’s the bigthing. That’s the biggest com-ment I get. ‘I feel happy.’”

Sharon Niederman is a writer and photogra-pher living in Raton and the author of manybooks of NM history and culture. Her forth-coming book is: Enchanted Plate: New Mexico Farmto Table.


Curtis Fort: Storyteller in Bronze

lmd oct 2014

Documents

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producemore beef

sumption of beef

evenbigger shortage

answer isnt beef

percent of consumers

percent ofour cow herd

pounds of toma