Ranching In The Mojave. Noah Amme Professor Raymond E. Arvidson Pathfinder 202; March 2014

Transcription

1 1 Ranching In The Mojave Noah Amme Professor Raymond E. Arvidson Pathfinder 202; March 2014

2 Mojave Desert and Boundaries: Mojave desert occupies much of southeastern California, northwestern Arizona, southern Nevada and southwest Utah (we will focus on Californian portion; Mojave National Preserve) Elevation varies widely from below sea level to upwards of 5,000 feet in elevation (high desert areas) Despite an obvious lack of precipitation, the Mojave desert is home to almost 2,000 plant species Generally the indicator of Mojave Desert is the Joshua Tree Species 2

3 Grazing Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM, est. 1946) manages the public lands of the Mojave Desert as part of the crown jewels of the American West National Landscape Conservation System Multiple land use management... 3

4 Ranching History Before mid-19th century, limited non-organized ranching -Spanish missionaries -Mexican settlers with livestock Later on whites came via the Mojave Road linking Colorado River to western settlements Red lines mark routes on the Mojave Road 4

5 Ranching History 5 Grazing of non-native livestock has occurred in the Mojave for over 150 years In the 19th century dating as far back as the gold rush herds of hundreds of sheep and cattle were driven back and forth To California or east to resupply station at Fort Mojave on the Colorado River ---Fresh ranges in Arizona and New Mexico --Fort Mojave

6 Ranching History 1875 George Briggs and LeRoy Blackburn (Blackburn and Briggs, 1894 merged to form Rock Springs Land and Cattle Company) Briggs and Blackburn were entrepreneurs who wisely saw a beef market in the form of hungry miners and later railroad workers Other ranchers including Sydney Yates (Valley Wells) and John Domingo tried their luck on smaller scales...open range conflict with homesteaders Cutthroat trading and buying of water rights, homesteaders denied access to land and water 6

7 Ranching Methods Old-fashioned methods worked best on tough ranges Mainly cow and calf operations (except for Valley View Ranch in the mid 1900s) Grazing typically occurred in the high desert in the winter and along the river or wash bottoms in the summer There was never enough moisture to stay in one place too long (especially during the early grazing days) 7

8 Rock Springs Land and Cattle Co. Founded on principles of entrepreneurialism and free grazing Demand: beef and leather; Buyers: Miners, railroad workers, soldiers, and later the whole country! Tens of thousands of head of cattle - most ever on the Mojave in one consolidated ranch Unsustainable... 8

9 Climate Changes Ranching 9 By 1928, prolonged drought wiped out most livestock in the Mojave and dissolved the Rock Springs Cattle Company Huge free grazing operations are fragile, they leave land to grow back after use (unless overgrazed) However Rock Springs stretched too thin and did not have proportional water improvements and boundaries (fencing and corrals)

10 Regulation Induces More Change Taylor Grazing Act in 1934 limited large open range operations Ranchers were required to clearly delineate the extent of their ranges and pay fees to the government based on how much their livestock consumed. Big ranches split apart, homesteaders began to stake claims to start operations for themselves 10

11 Taylor Grazing Act Effects: 11 Most importantly the Taylor Grazing Act required multiple sources of water Evolved into the ranching we know today with separated pastures and various improvements Tried to stop the overgrazing that occurred during the Rock Springs era OX Cattle Company Water Improvements

12 20th Century Ranching Large Yates operation dissolved in 1937 Family owned ranches passed down from the 40 s until 1994 California Desert Protection Act Kessler Springs Ranch, OX Ranch, & Valley View Ranch became the dominating names of the Mojave by buying out competitors Many corrals, fences and pipelines were constructed 12

13 Where Taylor Act Failed As you can see above, rapid commercial expansion of ranching was still allowed to continue because Taylor Grazing Act Made it very inexpensive to buy grazing rights Ranchers could easily buy land and graze it to their own desires Little enforcement As a result Overgrazing continued Desertification and soil damage of once semi-arid lands occurred Habitat destruction Threats to Mojave ecosystem continued throughout most of the 20th century 13

14 Did It Get Better? BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHED 1946 (General Land Office combined with Grazing Office) Still not strict enough on grazing policy and enforcement until the 1970 s 1970 s: Public interest in the environment increased EPA formed; Endangered Species Act Thus court began to enforce grazing restrictions in some cases BUT FINALLY IN

15 California Desert Protection Act: 1994 National Park Service takes control: The Mojave National Preserve is Formed BLM pushed out: 15

16 National Park Service Takes Control: About 1,600,000 acres of land - including a lot that had been grazed in the past Grazing only legal on incorporated lands MOST GRAZING TODAY IS RELEGATED TO BLM LAND: Conflict still exists between grazers and environmentalists 16

17 The Conflict: 17 BLM will kick grazers off their allotments when the federal government recognizes a certain area may have an endangered species that needs to be protected Example: September 7th, month full closure of 427,000 acres for desert tortoise: A financial and resource burden on ranchers Cattle reduce shrub cover so young tortoises can be easily preyed upon --Young, vulnerable tortoises

18 Environmental Controversy Over Continued Ranching: Cattle = carbon footprint Cattle (and other livestock) are nonnative and ecosystem is not adapted to support them (eating around 25 pounds of forage every day) Livestock depletes already limited water resources Overgrazing: -Reduction in natural fires needed by some species -desertification Cattle can pollute natural water supply with manure Overall - Environmentalists argue large scale ranching is unsustainable in the Mojave 18

19 Positive Ranching Effects On Land? Key to ranching in the Mojave Desert is water Many successful commercial ranches developed extensive water systems that are utilized by wildlife 19

20 Positive Ranching Effects On Land? Though no definitive data exists -Native and nonnative plant species may have been enhanced -Longterm availability of water sources 20

21 Bibliography (Text) 21 "Mojave: Administrative History." National Park Service. United States Government, n.d. Web. 24 Feb < gov/history/history/online_books/moja/adhi8a.htm>. "Mojave Desert." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Feb < "Ranching History in the Mojave Preserve." Digital Desert. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb < Weiser, Matt. "Cattle Make Way For Tortoises in the Mojave." High Country News. N.p., Web. 25 Feb < hcn.org/issues/214/10827/print_view>.

22 Bibliography (Images) org/programs/public_lands/deserts/sonoran_desert/sdnm_slideshow/sdnm-deadcow2-drpmar06_t.jpg jpg 22

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