The Welfare Cattle Empire That Controls Your Public Lands: article

[Phaseolus]

I hope they do cut public land grazing and they replace them with a bunch of private lawn ornaments and wild horses. I’d love to see 6% of total U.S. cattle herd eliminated over night.

I genuinely hope burger goes to 30 a lb and corn and wheat to $30 a bushel. I’m tired of listening to the rants of those, whom are so grateful with their full bellies.

The non-nutrition part of the Farm Bill — things like crop insurance, commodity supports, and conservation — runs roughly $39 billion a year based on the latest projections. Divide that by the US population of about 349 million, and you get right around $11.23 per American annually….. that’s what it cost you to have on of the lowest and safest food costs in a developed country….. owe their is cow public land stealing your money

Most people don't realize that around 70% of "The Farm Bill" actually goes to food stamps (SNAP) and school lunches. I'd like to see that broken out of the farm bill so it doesn't confuse the masses as much.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Most people don't realize that around 70% of "The Farm Bill" actually goes to food stamps (SNAP) and school lunches. I'd like to see that broken out of the farm bill so it doesn't confuse the masses as much.

Cant fix stupid, they don’t actually care to know, especially in today’s age of AI, they would rather project.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I didn't say it shouldn't be used for ranching. I even said I understand why people do it.

And even western Kansas, Eastern CO and West Texas that take 10-20 acres a cow vs the 1 in East Texas/SE OK and that swath is WAY different than the places out west that need public lands to afford the 100-200 acres a head.

Ranching is literally the only industry that will join accept the incredibly low productivity and act like it's essential.

I’ll argue ranching is essential to national security. Especially having meat sources that don’t come from outside our borders is very very important. In laws ranch is in the AZ desert and it’s amazing the amount of beef they can grow out there in the scrub. If they did away with all of it, not sure what or if anything would replace those animals, I doubt it, just Javalina which were transplanted and mule deer and p-horn seem to do okay

 

[Hnthrdr]

I hope they do cut public land grazing and they replace them with a bunch of private lawn ornaments and wild horses. I’d love to see 6% of total U.S. cattle herd eliminated over night.

I genuinely hope burger goes to 30 a lb and corn and wheat to $30 a bushel. I’m tired of listening to the rants of those, whom are so grateful with their full bellies.

The non-nutrition part of the Farm Bill — things like crop insurance, commodity supports, and conservation — runs roughly $39 billion a year based on the latest projections. Divide that by the US population of about 349 million, and you get right around $11.23 per American annually….. that’s what it cost you to have on of the lowest and safest food costs in a developed country….. ohh but there is a cow on public land stealing your money


Incase any one is curious. We down 50% cow:human% in the U.S. today from 1960

The current size of our cattle herd should be a concern to a lot of people…

 

[cuerro viejo]

The current size of our cattle herd should be a concern to a lot of people…

especially in the context of cow to person. We went from a .5 cow to person in 1960 to .24 cow to person today . That’s over 50% deduction and it’s getting lower fast

 

[KurtR]

To much common sense guys.

 

[displacedtexan]

I’ll argue ranching is essential to national security. Especially having meat sources that don’t come from outside our borders is very very important. In laws ranch is in the AZ desert and it’s amazing the amount of beef they can grow out there in the scrub. If they did away with all of it, not sure what or if anything would replace those animals, I doubt it, just Javalina which were transplanted and mule deer and p-horn seem to do okay

I wouldn't disagree with you on the national security perspective.

And, yeah, it is impressive what they can raise out in Arizona. Still barely over 1% of the country's beef, but I'm not lining up to cut back!

 

[displacedtexan]

Most people don't realize that around 70% of "The Farm Bill" actually goes to food stamps (SNAP) and school lunches. I'd like to see that broken out of the farm bill so it doesn't confuse the masses as much.

Farm bill for farm stuff, and a nutrition assistance package for that?

Makes sense, so I can't see it happening.

 

[AHayes111]

I wouldn't disagree with you on the national security perspective.

And, yeah, it is impressive what they can raise out there. Still barely over 1% of the country's beef, but I'm not lining up to cut back!

The number of cow that spend some time on public is much higher than 1%. The BLM provides 12 million AUMs, some of those AUM's are sheep , yearlings and bulls, but the vast majority are mother cows. With say an average grazing season of five to six months, you are looking at around 2 million cows spend some time on BLM or around 7% of the countrys mother cow herd. Add in national forest and grassland and you are likely look at close to the 16% number the article tries to discredit.

 

[displacedtexan]

The number of cow that spend some time on public is much higher than 1%. The BLM provides 12 million AUMs, some of those AUM's are sheep , yearlings and bulls, but the vast majority are mother cows. With say an average grazing season of five to six months, you are looking at around 2 million cows spend some time on BLM or around 7% of the countrys mother cow herd. Add in national forest and grassland and you are likely look at close to the 16% number the article tries to discredit.

1% was referring to Arizona... The reference in the quoted comment.

Fixing.

 

[AHayes111]

Are we using it for commercial use? I think that’s the difference. If I’m going to film on it and sell the film, then I should pay. If I’m going to guide on it and make money off hunters, I should pay. If I’m going hiking or hunting, then my tax dollars are paying my usage fee.

It is a valid argument, but don't kid your self. You are getting an economic benefit off of Public land. You value the time you spend there, The elk and deer you take home have value. When the anti hunters bring up in the future that hunters are using the public at far below market rate, hunters need more than just the I don't use public for commercial use argument. The antis are going gloss right over this argument and frame it as hunters are killing their animals for the sole benefit of the hunter at far below the market rate. This is coming in the future, I am kind of surprised the antis are not pushing this now.

 

[AHayes111]

1% was referring to Arizona... The reference in the quoted comment.

Fixing.

That makes sense

 

[AHayes111]

It doesn't sound like you are part of the Ag Community, sure, there are rich billionaires manipulating the system. Rich people do that in all walks of life. What you are missing with your broad brush are the small Family ranches. Another food for thought: Given many in our government want to sell off public lands it would make it easier to do so if you threw rancher out with the bath water first. That would make the case for land not being multiple use and thence sold to rich people which you profess to hate. Think about it.

Far worse than this, It is not just that there is a case for not being multiple use, but also that many of the long time small operators are pretty skeptical of PLT, Take away their grazing permits and you turn them from skeptical or against PLT to likely advocates for PLT. Without their grazing permits and they have nothing to lose with PLT and might even get their grazing back if PLT goes through.

 

[Ucsdryder]

It is a valid argument, but don't kid your self. You are getting an economic benefit off of Public land. You value the time you spend there, The elk and deer you take home have value. When the anti hunters bring up in the future that hunters are using the public at far below market rate, hunters need more than just the I don't use public for commercial use argument. The antis are going gloss right over this argument and frame it as hunters are killing their animals for the sole benefit of the hunter at far below the market rate. This is coming in the future, I am kind of surprised the antis are not pushing this now.

I disagree. The amount of public land users in Colorado that hike, bike, recreate, etc dwarf hunters. Could they argue an elk tag should cost more…anything is possible, but I don’t think they’ll get that far into the weeds.

 

[AHayes111]

I disagree. The amount of public land users in Colorado that hike, bike, recreate, etc dwarf hunters. Could they argue an elk tag should cost more…anything is possible, but I don’t think they’ll get that far into the weeds.

They will view themselves and non consumptive users and there for not have to pay. Hunters will be portrayed as consumptive users that should be paying market rate.
I would truly love to not be Nostradamus here, but Oil & Gas, mining, logging and grazing have all been accused of profiting and consuming resources from public land at below market rates. Not a hard call that hunters are going to have their turn too.

 

[KenLee]

If you are against ranchers and farmers, who exactly are you with?
Eat a steak and stfu.

We just wanna know when some of that gravy is gonna spill over onto our taters.

 

[KurtR]

We just wanna know when some of that gravy is gonna spill over onto our taters.

What gravy is that?

 

[WRO]

The number of cow that spend some time on public is much higher than 1%. The BLM provides 12 million AUMs, some of those AUM's are sheep , yearlings and bulls, but the vast majority are mother cows. With say an average grazing season of five to six months, you are looking at around 2 million cows spend some time on BLM or around 7% of the countrys mother cow herd. Add in national forest and grassland and you are likely look at close to the 16% number the article tries to discredit.

I haven’t seen anywhere numbers that back up 7% of the mother cow herd on public.

There’s a pile of under stocked allotments and abandoned fs leases right now.

The commonly quoted number is 1-3% of beef production. I would bet a significant portion of that is from in holdings.

 

[AHayes111]

I haven’t seen anywhere numbers that back up 7% of the mother cow herd on public.

There’s a pile of under stocked allotments and abandoned fs leases right now.

The commonly quoted number is 1-3% of beef production. I would bet a significant portion of that is from in holdings.

The under stocked allotments and abandoned fs leases is a good point..
Like I said before, it is hard to find a solid number on just how many cows use public at some point in there life.
If those leases are such a good deal, why are they abandoned?
The 1-3% number is misleading because they use forage provided to estimate production. You can not take the public forage out of the supply chain and assume that the amount of loss to beef production is only going to be the same as the amount of forage loss. Farmers and rancher can not just shift the different forage around to make up for the loss of public forage.