Hi we belong to the Friends of the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. For years the local good ole boys have grazed their cattle on it. Our manager of the refuge found that it didn't help the wildlife to do that so she did all the paperwork, crossed all the ts and dotted all the is and gave the ranchers a 5 year warning that they would not be allowed to do this anymore. Well they decided to sue and after much hassling the Judge just ruled in favor of us well the wildlife. We're waiting to hear if they will appeal. I have to laugh since one of the rancher's arguments were that this would cause severe hardship and put them out of business. I think there are only three and they are among the wealthiest people in our area I believe. JoAnn
This is not an isolated situation, JoAnn -- the refuge grazing, I mean. The victory is a much more rare! I remember all the "accidental" cattle breaches through fences on a refuge where I used to work. Funny how they just didn't seem to get fixed very often. Maybe the manager wanted to stay in good graces with the ranchers. Worse yet, the refuge is supposed to be mostly lake/wetland, and the feds keep it drained into ditches most of the year so that peripheral landowners can hay the noxious reed canary grass that grows there! Screwy systems, if you ask me. Kudos to your manager for sure!
I hope it gets enforced strictly. We are rehabilitating a stream in a subdivision by our families cabin. The stream bank has been horribly damaged by cattle and sheep over grazing for many many years. It is a long process but well worth it!
Cattle have been invading our little "refuge" all week. We have all this lush growth since we've gotten rain & have no grazers, so I guess the word is out among the cows - fences be darned!
Victory for Wildlife
Posted - Aug 30 2007 : 5:40:25 PM
