Thanks for this perspective. I worked in range management for the Forest Service back in the early 2000s. It was pretty bad then, the condition of the range. I still keep tabs on the ongoing range dilemma, mostly through Western Watersheds Project. It can all be very depressing, but it is a bit cheering to see how bad it was once, when it was completely unregulated. I'd say we've come a long way, with a long way yet to go, of course.
Managing such lands is so complicated. With the long view of the last 150 years or so, the priorities of use for range have changed and scientific understanding of how they "work" has transformed multiple times. How's an agency to manage? It's a tough task. This long view is helpful at reminding us why some conservation measure were put in place in the first place. Looking at some old photos you can't say, "Looks like all is going well there!"
Thanks for this perspective. I worked in range management for the Forest Service back in the early 2000s. It was pretty bad then, the condition of the range. I still keep tabs on the ongoing range dilemma, mostly through Western Watersheds Project. It can all be very depressing, but it is a bit cheering to see how bad it was once, when it was completely unregulated. I'd say we've come a long way, with a long way yet to go, of course.
Managing such lands is so complicated. With the long view of the last 150 years or so, the priorities of use for range have changed and scientific understanding of how they "work" has transformed multiple times. How's an agency to manage? It's a tough task. This long view is helpful at reminding us why some conservation measure were put in place in the first place. Looking at some old photos you can't say, "Looks like all is going well there!"