A woman and her daughter, who did not want to be identified, hike among grazing cattle on the Shanahan Trail in Boulder, Colorado on June 19, 2024. The cows are in the area until early July. Picture this: You’re hiking in a remote, high alpine area of the national forest in southwest Colorado. You haven’t seen another human in many miles, if at all, and so you’re a little more than startled when you encounter a herd of cows wandering through the recreation area.
When ranchers settled in the American West in the 19th and 20th centuries, they embraced a free-for-all approach to grazing that not only depleted natural resources but also caused disputes, known as, among livestock owners. The need for common ground – and the need to maintain fertile grounds – led then-Colorado Rep. Edward Taylor to introduce a bill that designated geographic districts where grazing was permitted.
Having access to public grazing plots is essential for folks like fifth-generation farmer Adam Seymour. His family has 500 acres of farmland in the Coal Creek Valley where they raise cattle to sell to JBS Foods in Greeley and private buyers. Because Seymour also grows crops like corn and alfalfa there in the summer, he needs to relocate his cows to Grand Mesa for grazing.
Both the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management evaluate allotments annually to determine the impact of previous grazing seasons and to decide how many animals each one can support. The agencies will close certain plots of land if they have been overgrazed or if environmental conditions like drought are expected to deteriorate the area.
Hikers, backpackers and mountain bikers will often see clues that livestock have been grazing on public lands, such as cow pies on trails or trampled foliage. And while both Seymour and Gardunio said encounters between people and animals are common, they rarely hear about conflicts. Gardunio said most of the incidents she hears about involve herding dogs, which can be aggressive toward passersby who get too close to sheep flocks. She’s also heard of individuals who thought the dogs were abandoned and took them to local shelters, and does not advise people to do that.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: ClevelandScene - 🏆 383. / 55 Read more »
Source: screenrant - 🏆 7. / 94 Read more »
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: physorg_com - 🏆 388. / 55 Read more »
Source: hackernoon - 🏆 532. / 51 Read more »
Source: screenrant - 🏆 7. / 94 Read more »