~Ranching in the Mojave~

1. ~Ranching in the Mojave~ The History, Politics, and Ecology of Desert Ranching By Mary Logeais

2. Early Settlement in the West • Before the turn of the nineteenth century, grazing in the Mojave was uncommon. The area was wild and rugged, and deemed unsuitable for long term grazing. • The Mohave and Chemehuevis Native Americans were among the first occupants of the land. In occasional raids they would capture and butcher livestock. However, they did not raise any livestock of their own because the land was not suitable for grazing. • Spanish and Mexican settlers and missionaries often drove livestock through the area by means of open ranging, but there is no record of permanent grazing during this time.

3. The First Ranching in the Mojave • The first record of grazing in the Mojave occurred in the mid 1800’s when the U.S. Army built the Mojave Road. The road simplified transportation and created a connection to the outside world. • Miners and Army members were among the first to partake in long term ranching in the area. • The first official ranch was created in 1894 in the East Mojave; it was called Rock Springs Land & Cattle Company. • Early grazing in the Mojave occurred on public lands and was largely unrestricted. Both railroad workers and miners benefited from the production of beef, so there was little opposition to ranching in the area. • Land and water resources were largely exploited and soon sparked controversy. There became a need for regulation.

4. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1943 • In response to the deteriorating conditions in the Mojave, namely overgrazing and soil damage, the Taylor Grazing Act was passed in 1943. • This was the first legislation passed to control grazing in the area. • The act forced ranchers to pay for the public lands they were using in terms of “Animal Unit Months” and leases on the land. • Though created with good intentions, the Taylor Grazing Act did not prevent overgrazing in the end. Beside the fact that it was loosely monitored, the prices for the leases and AUMs were ridiculously low. It ended up giving ranchers the upper hand in the legislative battle for grazing lands.

5. The BLM’s Role in Grazing • The Bureau of Land Management was established in 1946 when the Government Land Office and the Grazing Service merged. • Ever since its creation, the BLM has been in charge of controlling much of the western United States, from the California Desert Conservation Area in 1976 to the East Mojave National Scenic Area in 1985. • The BLM has been termed the “Bureau of Livestock and Mining” because it has a history of doing little to protect the environment and has been overly generous to ranchers and miners in the area. • It wasn’t until the 1970’s when the BLM began to seriously regulate grazing. This came about because of a court mandate in response to claims of overgrazing on public lands. • The BLM was forced to cut back on the number of cattle in the Mojave and the amount of land granted to the ranchers by 75%. By 1981, the ranchers were able to reduce grazing by only 25% rather than 75%. • In 1994, the California Desert Protection Act was passed by Congress. This act transferred the lands of the East Mojave National Scenic Area from the BLM to the park service and created the Mojave National Preserve • Grazing allotments from the pre-existing BLM areas were grand-fathered into the new preserve.

6. California Desert Protection Act of 1994 • AN ACT To designate certain lands in the California Desert as wilderness, to establish the Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, to establish the Mojave National Preserve, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, • TITLE I--DESIGNATION OF WILDERNESS AREAS TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT • (c) LIVESTOCK.--Within the wilderness areas designated under section 102, the grazing of livestock, where established prior to the date of enactment of this Act, shall be permitted to continue subject to such reasonable regulations, policies, and practices as the Secretary deems necessary, as long as such regulations, policies, and practices fully conform with and implement the intent of Congress regarding grazing in such areas as such intent is expressed in the Wilderness Act and section 101(f) of Public Law 101-628.GRAZING • SEC. 409. (a) The privilege of grazing domestic livestock on lands within • the preserve shall continue to be exercised at no more than the current • level, subject to applicable laws and National Park Service regulations.

7. Mojave National Preserve

8. Grazing in the Mojave • As of 1991, eleven grazing leases were managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the Eastern Mojave. These leases were grand-fathered in under the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. The ranchers were allowed to graze cattle in the desert until their leases expired; the leases will not be renewed. (note: One AUM equals the amount of forage required to support one and a half cows for one month) • Summary of leases • Clark Mountain Allotment: Nola Whipple, 88,312 acres, 20% in MNP, 1,872 AUM, expired 1997 • Colton hills Allotment: Howard Blair, 147,847 acres, 100% in MNP, 2,877 AUM, expired 1997 • Crescent Peak Allotment: Viceroy Gold Corp., 31,780 acres, 100% in MNP, not currently grazing cattle, expired 1999 • Gold Valley Allotment: Howard Blair, 16,190 acres, 100% in MNP, 1,152 AUM, expired 1997 • Granite Mountain Allotment: Clay Overson, 276,125 acres, 95% in MNP, 4,716 AUM, expired 1998 • Kessler Springs Allotment: Gary Overson, 252,172 acres, 85% in MNP, 8,016 AUM, expired 1997 • Lanfair Valley Allotment: Gary Overson, 339,553 acres, 80% in MNP, 12,168 AUM, expired 1997 • Piute Valley Allotment: William Evans, 33,468 acres, 44% in MNP, ephemeral lease, no permanent allocation of AUMs, expired 1999 • Round Valley Allotment: Irene Ausmus (Cima Postmaster), 653 acres, 100% in MNP, 27 AUM, expired 1999 • Valley View Allotment: Blincoe Farms Inc. (managed by Gary and Clay Overson), 281,802 acres, 92% in MNP, 8,485 AUM, expired 1997 • Valley Wells Allotment: Blincoe Farms Inc. (managed by Gary and Clay Overson), 237,258 acres, 18% in MNP, 4,644 AUM, expired 1995

9. Grazing Allotments

10. 1991 BLM Grazing Allotments • Key: 9011 is Granite Mountain, 9002 is Colton Hills, 9010 is Lanfair Valley, 9004 is Piute Valley, 9013 is Crescent Peak, 9012 is Gold Valley, 9016 is Round Valley, 9008 is Kessler Springs, 9000 is Valley View, 9009 is Valley Wells, 9003 is Clark Mountain

11. “1.5 Million Acres of Contradictions” • “The East Mojave marks the convergence of three deserts-the Mojave with its Joshua trees, the Sonoran with its teddy bear cholla cactus, and the Great Basin with its sagebrush” (High Country News). However, the Mojave National Preserve does not resemble the typical desert environment. • The creation of the preserve in 1994 has brought much controversy. • The MNP is the host of many atypical park activities. These range from environmental studies, camping, off-road recreation, hunting, mining, and ranching. • There is an ongoing battle among residents in the preserve, the park service, environmentalists, urban planners, ranchers, and various other interest groups regarding the use of the land. • “Like most of her neighbors, Irene Ausmus never wanted the East Mojave Desert to become a national preserve…but after living inside the Mojave National Preserve for the past two-and-a-half years, Ausmus says she doesn’t mind the Park Service being here anymore.” • One of the most serious issues affecting the desert is ranching in the preserve and how it has affected the environment.

12. The Great Debate • Environmentalist vs. Ranchers • Environmentalists: Environmental activists believe the Mojave National Preserve should be returned to its most natural state. They view ranching in the desert as a senseless and environmentally degrading act. • Ranchers: Because ranching in the Mojave is no longer as profitable as it once was, the ranchers’ main argument is one of principle rather than profit. Though the money is a small concern, the ranchers feel they should be allowed to preserve their way of life in the southwest.

13. An Economic Perspective • Two points of view: • “Ranchers say that they are already on the verge of bankruptcy and that they are extremely important to local economies” (Economic Effects of Public Lands Grazing). • “Environmentalists say that tax payers are both subsidizing ranchers and paying for and living with the damage cattle cause” (Economic Effects of Public Lands Grazing). • The bare facts: • Though ranchers feel they are essential to local economies, they provide less than 0.1% of all of California’s livestock sales (The Facts About Grazing in the East Mojave National Scenic Area). • “Current livestock grazing activity on BLM allotments in hot desert areas risks long-term environmental damage while not generating grazing fee revenues sufficient to provide adequate management. In 1990, federal agencies spent 52 million more dollars on livestock programs than they collected in grazing fees…taxpayers are essentially giving each permittee approximately $2,200 per year” (Economic Effects on Public Lands Grazing). • In order to make ranching more profitable for everyone, it would be necessary to raise grazing fees. However, many ranchers are already near bankruptcy and would not be able to afford this cost.

14. An Environmental Perspective • Grazing in the has many detrimental effects on the environment: • Cattle are not native to the area, and thus cause much damage. • Grazing is causing desertification of the Mojave; the west has become “perceptibly more barren during the past 100 years” (Desert). • There is barely enough water to support desert ecology, let alone cattle. “A single cow consumes 10-15 gallons of water per day” (Desert). • The carrying capacity of the land has been severely decreased. • Cattle destroy the native desert vegetation. “A cow eats about 25 pounds of foliage a day in the East Mojave. A tortoise eats between 18 and 23 pounds of foliage in a year” (Mojave National Preserve Politics). • There have been recorded instances of ranchers using blow torches to burn the thorns off of local cacti so their cows can eat them (Desert). • Cattle trample and destroy the fragile desert soils, riparian areas, and wetlands. • Cows consume desert grasses that are necessary to sustain other species and also fuel natural fires that occur occasionally in the Mojave. • The waste from cattle pollutes the ground and river waters and creates an eye soar for the public.

15. Is There a Solution? • There seems to be an obvious answer to this question. However, it is more complicated than it seems. • Environmentalists would argue that grazing in the desert must be stopped all together in order to preserve the natural environment. • Government officials might take the stance that an increase in grazing fees would help to alleviate the problem, both generating more funds for positive restoration programs and hindering the activities of ranchers. • The ranchers believe they are entitled to the land and the ranching way of life. • ONLY TIME AND COMPROMISE BETWEEN PARTIES WILL ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

17. Sources A Visionary Proposal for the Desert West <www.earthisland.org/journal/desert> Affected Environment <www.nps.gov/moja/mojaplan/mojaaff> Cattle Grazing on Public Lands <www.gci-net.com/~users/w/wolfsoul/environment/cattle/grazing> Desert <www.gci-net.com/~users/w/wolfsoul/environment/cattle/desert> Mojave National Preserve Politics <www.gorp.com/gorp/publishers/westcliffe/his2_moj> Mojave National Preserve Ranching <www.nps.gov/moja/mojahtra> The Debate of Western Ranching Economics <www.gci- net.com/~users/w/wolfsoul/environment/cattle/economic> The Facts About Grazing in the East Mojave National Scenic Area (pamphlet) The Mojave National Preserve: 1.4 million acres of contradictions <www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=3153>

18. The End!