Kick cows off refuge lands

[struggle4progress]

SUNDAY, FEB. 7, 2016
Paul Lindholdt

Public-lands cattle grazing triggered the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge bloodshed ...

The Bundys and many of their disciples are freeloaders at the public trough ...

... Cattle are exotic beasts ill adapted to the arid West. Arising from bloodlines bred in rainy Asia, cattle trample stream banks to reach water. They deepen the collapse of the salmon in regional rivers and streams. They compete with wild hoofed herds for forage ...

... Audits show that hundreds of Western landowners profit from subleasing federal grazing permits to the public’s lands ... When he can get away with it, that same rancher will sublet those lands for higher fees than the government collects.

Producers profit at taxpayer expense by grazing cattle on our federal estate at an absurd one-third to one-fifth the current market rate ...

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/feb/07/lindholdt-kick-cows-off-refuge-lands/

[yourout]

1. Turn um into hamburger

[Igel]

2. By "rainy Asia"

the writer means "northern Iraq and eastern Turkey."

Granted, this is indeed Asia.

"Rainy" pushes it a bit. Perhaps 35" of rain per year in some places.

Actually, in parts of eastern Oregon that's about right. In other parts, down to 15-20" per year or less.

If not those herbivores, there'd be others. In fact, one of the big problems is horses. Also an import, but wild.

Goats that escaped are a problem, too, competing with the native ones.

[truebluegreen]

4. Show me what part of eastern Oregon receives 35" of precip.

in a year. That's more than Seattle, on the other, rainy side of the Cascades. Eastern Oregon ranges from 8" (including the SE corner where Malheur is located) to maybe 16" in the north. FYI, less than 10" annually is typically classified as DESERT.

[Downwinder]

3. Weed control.

[SwankyXomb]

5. Free steaks for food banks.