Laserfiche WebLink
<br />I-" <br />en 2. Acreage of Grazi ng '-and <br />CO <br />0) Range 1 ands compri se a 1 arge proporti on of the 1 and area of the states in <br />Regi on VII I. rangi ng from 28% for North Dakota to 83.6% for Wyomi ng and <br />averaging 65% for the Region (see Table 1). Because of the acreage involved, <br />grazing is a major land use activity in Region VIII and a potentially <br />sig1ficant contributor to water quality degradation. <br /> <br />3. Economic importance of grazing <br /> <br />Consumption of plant materi als by animals is a natural process that <br />converts range forage, which is not directly useable by man, into high-quality <br />meat and fiber suitable for consumptive use. Grazing lands are an important <br />source of forage for livestock in Region VIII because of the vast size of the <br />rangeland area. Agricultural statistics do not differentiate between farm <br />feedlot livestock and range livestock, but a majority of cattle and nearly all <br />sheep in the Region spend a part of each year foraging on rangeland. <br /> <br />Livestock production is a large part of the income for the agricultural <br />community in the Region (see Table 2), ranging from 20% of agricultural <br />products sold in North Dakota to 79% in Wyoming and averaging 51% for the <br />Region. Rangeland grazing and ranching activities associated with it, often <br />attain an importance economically, socially, and culturally that transcends <br />its importance from a broader as pect. <br /> <br />4. Clean Water Act relationships <br /> <br />Administratively, nonpoint water quality management is a state and local <br />responsibility. Section 208 of the Clean Water Act provides that states <br />develop programs for controlling nonpoint sources of water pollution from all <br />agricultural activities including lands used for livestock production. The <br />Environmental Protection Agency is charged with oversight responsibility. <br /> <br />Federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. <br />Forest Service are responsible for the lands under their administration. The <br />Governors. of all six States in Region VIII have designated the Bureau of Land <br />Management and the Forest Service as water quality management agencies for <br />1 and under their control. <br /> <br />Ranching is a land use specialization which centers on livestock grazjng <br />of the vast rangeland areas of the Region. As such, individual ranchers are <br />key participants in any water quality management program involving grazing <br />lands and their full support is essential. <br /> <br />- 3 - <br /> <br />".',._.--'",c <br />