My 2 Cents
October 2007

The Long, Sad Tale of the Mis-spent $46,000
by Steve Rumsey

Those of us who favor making the transition from a consumer economy to one that is much more sustainable are already convinced that we should support local agriculture. We buy food directly from local growers as often as we can, we shop farmers markets, we support grocery stores that feature locally-grown food, we dine at restaurants that include locally-grown food on their menus, we grow our own. So it's with some discomfort to bump up against the issue of livestock grazing on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. Normally, I'd find it easy to support local cattlemen in their efforts to make an honest living in tough times by raising high quality, grass-fed beef, especially if they sell as much of it as they can to local beef-lovers instead of shipping it out of state.

Unfortunately, some local cattlemen are adamant that cattle should continue to graze on our national wildlife refuge simply because they did so in the past. This position fails to acknowledge some very important points.

For one thing, cows aren't the only -- or the most important -- critter on four legs to inhabit this corner of our world. Wildlife, like our area farmers and ranchers, also deserve our support and protection for their own sake, which is exactly what national wildlife refuges are set up to do. The refuge offers an island of serenity for wildlife and refuge visitors alike, surrounded as it is by public lands that are buzzing with ORVs and chainsaws and over-run, in some cases, by plenty of cows. The idea of setting aside acreage specifically for wildlife is entirely justified on its own merits, despite the sacrifices that this may take, especially since all most public lands in the region are open to grazers and nearly everyone else already.

For another, the LPO and the critters that inhabit it are an important element in our tourism and outdoor recreation economy. People come here to hunt and fish and hike, they visit the refuge, and they leave their dollars behind at area restaurants, motels, gas stations and grocery stores in return. Many outdoor enthusiasts don't want to dodge cows on the trails, make camp in fields of cow flop, or fight the flies that cows attract. They look for places to visit that are cow-free, and they bring their money with them.

The LPO, in other words, like local ag, provides value to those of us who live here and to those who visit for the purpose of outdoor recreation. Stevens County cattlemen didn't see it that way, of course, and didn't want to lose their grazing permits for the approximately 115 cows that grazed the LPO prior to 2004, and who could blame them? It's a tough break for a cattleman to lose a grazing permit. The LPO tried to soften the blow by giving the permit-holders five years to make the transition. The cattlemen didn't bother. Instead, they filed suit to overturn the decision to remove most grazing from the LPO.

Unfortunately, the Stevens County Commissioners decided to join the cattlemen in their lawsuit, and actually agreed to cover most of the cost (not with their own money, of course, with the taxpayers' money). As of September 13, they have paid $46,124.83 for the lawsuit, with additional costs perhaps to come.

What did the taxpayers get for their investment? Nada. Nothing. Not so much as one fly specked cow flop. Stevens County, and the cattlemen, lost their case in district court in August when the judge sided with the National Fish and Wildlife Service in saying that National Wildlife Refuges should be devoted to... well, wildlife.

Where does that leave us?

For the time being anyway, the judge's decision means that the refuge can continue life cow-free. Aspen stands will continue to re-establish themselves in the places where they were grazed out of existence. Stream banks will continue to recover where they were stomped to oblivion. Refuge staff will continue to fret about -- and to protect -- wildlife and wildlife habitat instead of cows. Hunters, fishermen, campers, hikers, and others will be able to visit the refuge and enjoy it in all its cow-free glory.

Meanwhile, the political machinery that supports exploitation of natural resources above all other values will continue to churn. The cattlemen and the commissioners may decide to appeal. Political appointees in the Interior Department will try to do an end run on the judge's order. And the cattlemen who lost their grazing permits on the LPO will survive by finding another way to feed their livestock, adapting to changing conditions just as other businesses are forced to do.

We can help them in some small way if we choose, by buying direct from the growers and ranchers, by shopping farmers markets and grocery stores that feature locally produced foods, by dining in restaurants that feature locally produced foods on their menus, and by eating locally produced beef. Bon appÈtit!

Care to comment? Please direct your comments to editor@ncmonthly.com.

The North Columbia Monthly provides news, views, humor and a calendar of events for an area that stretches from Nelson in British Columbia south to Spokane in Washington State and covers all points in between. A free (and free-thinking, progressive) magazine, The Monthly is available at several hundred spots throughout the region and now is also available on-line at www.ncmonthly.com. Published once a month since 1994, The Monthly is an independent magazine that often challenges contemporary wisdom by encouraging critical thinking about issues and attitudes in the region and beyond.

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