The appended message raises the level of industrial tourism lunacy to brand new heights. It shows the BLM entertaining the idea of turning cattle grazing in sensitive riparian areas, into a profitable wreckreational product.

Not only will the BLM collect their $1.35/AUM for running hundreds of head through an area now closed to grazing, but they will be able to charge the tourists a pretty penny for their fun.

I think they call this a "win-win"!

And if the local BLM office can get appropriated taxpayer dollars to mitigate the damage caused by this cattle drive, it definitely becomes a "win-win-win" for the land managers who approve this madness.

Scott

PS... Now that recreation user fees stay right where they are collected, what will these public land managers think up next?  Charging dirt-bikers so they can destroy desert habitat? Charging jet-skiers to pollute lakes?? Or perhaps charging swamp buggy owners to nuke Nature Reserves???  It's all part of the new recreation pay-to-play concept.... if you are prepared to pay --- you will get to play!

===A message from the 'rangenetlist' discussion list===

Date:        6/15/00 8:41 PM
Sender: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The BLM has received a proposal to trail hundreds of cattle along the Dolores River  between Bradfield Bridge and Slickrock as part of a recreational dude ranching "City Slickers" operation.

BLM is asking for public comment on this proposal until June 26, 2000. Please contact Penny Wu, BLM's recreation manager, at (970) 882-7296 or write her a letter at Dolores Ranger Station, PO Box 210, Dolores, CO 81323 to tell her of your concerns.

The proposal is in three parts:

1) Run 200 cattle plus 6 clients and 3 cowboys from Doe Canyon (mile 8 below Bradfield Bridge) to the Dove Creek Pump Station during July and August;

2) Run 200-400 cattle plus 6 clients and 3 cowboys from Dove Creek Pump Station to Slickrock during the first week of November;

3) Run 200-400 cattle plus 6 clients and 3 cowboys in the area west and northwest of Slickrock away from the Dolores River during winter months November-April.

The Dolores River corridor is presently closed to livestock grazing between Bradfield Bridge and Slickrock.  Running hundreds of cattle along the river banks and through river campsites raises a number of serious questions:

-- impacts to an ungrazed, riparian ecosystem
-- impacts from cattle congregating in popular boater campsites
-- social impacts of encountering large cattle herds where none currently exist
-- impacts to trout habitat from cattle stumbling through the streambed
-- impacts on the wilderness character of the river corridor, particularly for the stretch from Bradfield Bridge to the Pump Station which BLM has never analyzed for wilderness potential.

Boaters familiar with the Dolores River undoubtedly have other thoughts
about the proposal. We strongly urge you to contact BLM with these
concerns.

For further information, contact the San Juan Citizens Alliance at (970) 259-6181 or visit our website at www.sanjuancitizens.org/dolores.html.
 

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