POLICY SUMMARY:  grasslands and desert Home About the FWOC Join the FWOC Member Organizations Adopted Resolutions Outdoors West Officers Current List of Conservation Developments with Bush Administration History Policy Summary Convention Schedule Related Links Site Map Joshua Tree N.P., California                            © Jill Cross

FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS next >> Federal laws governing the management of public range lands should not be weakened, as by charging only token fees for grazing, granting special privileges to stock producers, impairing the ability of federal officials to manage for multiple use, or by restricting the right of the public to participate in decisions affecting their range lands. [Res. 3, 1996]  Legislation should not be enacted that would establish grazing as the best use of public lands, nor mining. Such legislation could make it more difficult for agencies to control environmental degradation caused by overgrazing. [Res. 9, 1998]  Nor should those who hold permits to graze on public lands be compensated when activities under these permits are curtailed since these are privileges, not rights. [Res. 22, 1998]  Permits should not be issued to graze on public lands under conditions that are not economic and result in subsidies to stockmen (taking into account environmental damage caused). [Res. 17, 1999]  Ranchers should not be granted greater rights over public grasslands.  They should not be allowed to share title to improvements such as fences and wells, nor to maintain control over locked gates which would close out the public, nor introduce cattle into areas that have been reserved for wildlife.  Nor should monitoring of their grazing be reduced, nor should it be harder for the public to file appeals.  NEPA's focus should not be changed to benefit grazing interests.  These proposals should be dropped.  [Res.21, 2003] Western wildlands and deserts need to be protected from invasive non-native plants, which are invading at a rate of nearly 5000 acres per day. They endanger the biological heritage of these lands. [Res. 19, 1998] The U.S. government should ratify the convention to Combat Desertification and Drought sponsored by the United Nations, which is designed to stem degradation of arid and semi-arid lands through abuse, poor management, land clearing, and inappropriate exploitation of fragile lands, as well as to reduce dislocation and migration of human populations. [Res. 17, 1997]. next >>

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