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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend December 30, 2005 Livestock district faces opposition by ranchers By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune A proposed expansion of a livestock district in the mountains east of Siskiyou Summit is just a ploy to run cattle off the lands permanently, say local ranchers. "It’s a harassment tactic," said Bob Miller of Hornbrook, Calif., chairman of the Jackson County Stockmen’s Association’s public lands committee. Miller, who made his case before Jackson County commissioners Wednesday, opposed a request by Marshall Cole and Nancy Ames Cole to include their 640 acres in the existing Siskiyou Summit Livestock District. A livestock district, according to Oregon law, places the burden on the cattle ranchers to keep their animals out of the designated land. This is the opposite of open-range areas, where it is the neighbors’ responsibility to properly fence in properties to keep livestock out. Advertisement By including the land in the district, the Coles would have the right to impound any errant cattle, essentially taking them away from the rancher, said Bruce Buckmaster, owner of Buckmaster’s Soda Mountain Ranch. "If she is in the livestock district, she has the right to corral them up and call the sheriff’s," he said. "This would necessitate more government control in our neighborhood that we don’t need." Miller said this is just a "ploy" to soften up ranchers, who have been negotiating with the federal government over selling their grazing rights in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. "Nancy Cole has been a big pusher of getting cattle off the monument," he said. Ashland attorney Mark Haneberg, who represents the Coles, said, "I’m not aware of any ploy." He said this isn’t an attempt to ruin the cattle business, but to protect the lands owned by his client from the "yearly physical invasion by livestock." Haneberg said this conflict between cattle ranchers and their neighbors has been going on since the 1800s. Both Commissioners Jack Walker and Dave Gilmour said they would need more information about the issue before taking a vote on whether to include the Coles’ property in the district. Walker said he wanted to figure out if there were any legal pitfalls in extending the livestock district into areas that are also part of the monument. Haneberg said that since the Coles’ property is privately owned there wouldn’t be a legal issue. Commissioners decided to postpone a decision on the district expansion until 9:30 a.m. Jan. 18 at the Jackson County Courthouse auditorium, 10 S. Oakdale Ave. Nancy Ames Cole, who wasn’t at the meeting, stated in an e-mail that she believed the commissioners would uphold the rights of a property owner. "The law is clear that we have a right to manage our own land as we believe best," she stated. She said her efforts would also prevent cattle from wandering onto the busy Interstate 5 and Highway 99 corridors. "Controlling cattle along the Siskiyou Pass transportation corridor is a win-win for everyone," she stated. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Livestock district faces opposition by ranchers ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s