How The Feds Got All That Western Land (and Why It's a Problem) - (and the problem I have with this article)

In reference to: > [How The Feds Got All That Western Land (and Why It's a Problem)](http://ift.tt/22QjjfD) > JANUARY 8, 2016 - Ryan McMaken This is a very good article. I have one beef with it. The author assumes that productive use of the land will be reserved for unsightly areas. While this may the case with mining, ranching is only described as inherently degrading to the land in this article but I want to challenge that. It is true that at least since the Indian tribes and buffalo herds were driven off the Western lands of the North American continent the land has been severely degraded by productive use. The steel plow and self-propelled tractor broke the turf of the plains and contributed to wind and water erosion and grazing practices have left the ground stressed and barren in many places. New research has identified ways to grow food without causing the land to scar. Allan Savory thinks that the prairie is not overgrazed, but undergrazed; it needs more animals in number and type to complete the ecosystem and humans are more than capable of managing a system of grazing that makes the land healthier. Mark Shepard thinks that oak savanna was drastically more prevalent than we think, inviting farmers to incorporate much more diverse species in their grazing fields. The new way of raising beef treats the land like a precious resource. The old way of grazing on public land treats land like the commons, because it is the commons in many places. I think that is not a coincidence, and the article referenced that same argument. There was no incentive to improve the land past gaining nominal control over what territory the rancher needed. Burning out competitors took precedence over identifying the beset way to get never-ending prosperity... because the resource was not guaranteed. The cash-grab of old grazing techniques would not succeed pitted against new holistic management techniques. Remember that the cattle raised on open pasture are finished in feedlots using tons of corn and hundred of gallons of water per cattle, increasing the cost of bringing to market. The manure cycle is managed by hand, rather than managed by placing the cow where you want the poop. This is just an example of the many inefficiencies which would crater the old techniques of the industry in a more competitive market with privately-managed lands. This even makes privatization more likely, because those people wishing to collect lands for conservation may have an understanding that until they can resurrect giant buffalo herds there will be a need for cattle-raising on their land. While I agree with the article's larger points, I hope the author might consider learning more from the works of Joel Salatin, Mark Shepard, Allan Savory, and Geoff Lawton. Keywords to look up are Permaculture, Restoration Agriculture, Grassland Restoration, Savanna Institute, and the site Permies.com. It is not surprising that these people are usually not friends of the state when they are well aware of the mishandling it perpetuates on everything it touches. (edit: a letter)

link: http://ift.tt/22SOeb7