Your tax dallors at work

[cure]

This is what happened to my operation this summer and to tell you how dumb the blm really is.
We run a winter permit Fillmore Utah. It was some of the 500,000 acres that got caught in the fire this past summer. We lost about half of our permit. To make a long story short the fire burn so fast that it really didn't burn anything but the cheat grass that grows out there. The reason why the fire got so big is because the blm kicked us all off the middle of April last spring when the grass is just starting to grow. We normally are out there till the first of May/middle of May so our cows can keep this grass clipped down so that something like this couldn't happen
The blm called us last week and told us that we can still go out with almost our full alotment even though we can only be one half the permit they also told us that we will have to come off by the first of April next year. When asked would it make more sense to run half the number of cows and stay out till the first of May to clip down the grass the blm rep. said this " No because we feel that if your cows are out there in April they might eat to much of the cheat grass and stunt the grasses growth."
Now if any of you are familiar with cheat grass it only grows for about 30 days then dieds at about 6 inches and this is why the fire last summer was so big because it had all this dried up grass and a little wind.
The other thing that I can't understand is how do you figure that if you loss half of your ground how can you run almost the same number of animals on that ground would it make more sense to run half or less and try to better the vegation out there than to run everything in to a dust bowl?

 

[PORKER]

The other thing that I can't understand is how do you figure that if you loss half of your ground how can you run almost the same number of animals on that ground would it make more sense to run half or less and try to better the vegation out there than to run everything in to a dust bowl?

It's the kids that are fresh out of college that the government hires,No Common Sense!!!!!!!!

 

[EJ]

Maybe the BLM should have high school ag classes tell them which grasses and grass types are favorable. It really baffles me how those managers in that type of role know so little. Another prime example of education without common sense.

 

[Tex]

This is what happened to my operation this summer and to tell you how dumb the blm really is.
We run a winter permit Fillmore Utah. It was some of the 500,000 acres that got caught in the fire this past summer. We lost about half of our permit. To make a long story short the fire burn so fast that it really didn't burn anything but the cheat grass that grows out there. The reason why the fire got so big is because the blm kicked us all off the middle of April last spring when the grass is just starting to grow. We normally are out there till the first of May/middle of May so our cows can keep this grass clipped down so that something like this couldn't happen
The blm called us last week and told us that we can still go out with almost our full alotment even though we can only be one half the permit they also told us that we will have to come off by the first of April next year. When asked would it make more sense to run half the number of cows and stay out till the first of May to clip down the grass the blm rep. said this " No because we feel that if your cows are out there in April they might eat to much of the cheat grass and stunt the grasses growth."
Now if any of you are familiar with cheat grass it only grows for about 30 days then dieds at about 6 inches and this is why the fire last summer was so big because it had all this dried up grass and a little wind.
The other thing that I can't understand is how do you figure that if you loss half of your ground how can you run almost the same number of animals on that ground would it make more sense to run half or less and try to better the vegation out there than to run everything in to a dust bowl?

I have had a little experience with cheat grass, and you are right, it grows for a little while and then is not worth anything but for burning, which was a common practice if your stock didn't eat it down--burn it. It also gets all in your socks when walking through it. The best management practice is to have it eaten all down while in that growth phase because after that it is worth nothing and is a fire hazard. I think the cattle avoid it because no leaves and only prickly pointy seeds after it dries out, and hence the cheat part of the grass.