Document text
CLEAR Temp: 100 °F Wind: WNW at 6 mph Saturday, September 27, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 17, 2003 Hunters say elderberry trees in the Soda Mountain area have been damaged by grazing cattle. Ranchers say drought, deer and elk are the culprits. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Research agencies of varying views will take look at impact of grazing By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A monumental study is under way to find out the effects of cattle grazing on the ecology and biology of 53,000 acres of federal land. "We will probably spend well over a million dollars on this grazing study before it’s done," said Howard Hunter, assistant manager of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Other research organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Klamath Bird Observatory, are undertaking independent studies of grazing impacts, he said. Their analyses, if they are determined to be impartial and objective, could be included in the overall study. Advertisement It hasn’t been an easy task to decide how to approach this issue, which has been debated for several years. "I can’t tell you how much correspondence we’ve received about what the study should or shouldn’t do," said Hunter. Most of the correspondence has come from ranchers. The study was required after a presidential proclamation in 2000 sought a determination of the effects of livestock on the monument, particularly on rare species, special plant habitats and weed invasion. The study will look at such things as water quality and effects on grassy and riparian areas. It also will analyze the feces of deer, elk and livestock to determine how seeds are spread. An analysis will explore the possible use of cattle as a tool to maintain the vitality of the land, including grazing to assist with control of noxious weeds. Paul Hosten, monument ecologist for the Bureau of Land Management, said he will be reviewing historical documents to determine what the area looked like when people of European descent first started using the land. An 1871 survey by the Applegate family is being reviewed and compared with existing conditions. "It’s taken a long time to scare up old studies," he said. "We are still looking for old photos." As part of the study, hundreds of "photo points" have been set up so that ecologists can photograph the same site at various times to monitor the impacts to a bush, field or other parts of the monument. Since cattle aren’t the only creatures roaming the hillsides, Hosten said the study will have to determine which species are having an impact on plant species or riparian areas. "We have to be careful to separate out the effects of livestock from other disturbances out there," he said. "The very act of building roads, for example, might have aided the distribution of weeds in the monument." Trying to determine what the monument would have looked like before man began changing the landscape will be difficult, since it continually changes because of other environmental conditions. "It’s a moving target," said Hosten. "How does one decide what the land needs to look like?" Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times