The following text is all the text that was on
the detailed response the Forest Service provided on 29 April 2002.
I provide it on this web page because some folks may
have trouble reading the original pdf (my computers give warnings about color
space when I look at their pdf).
Information Regarding Hart Property Cattle Trespass in 2001
Dr. Barry Meyers-Rice of UC Davis recently set up a web site on
www.sarracenia.com regarding cattle drift outside the Canyon Creek
allotment onto private property belonging to the Hart family. On this web
site the Forest Service is accused of valuing grazing cattle over the
biological value of wildland sites and the wishes of private landowners.
At issue are the unique Darlingtonia californica plants that grow in a
seep on that private property, damage to those plants and their habitat
from cattle drift, and what is being termed as misplaced Forest Service
priorities.
What We've Done
We would like to let you know what we have been doing regarding this
issue. Since the forest was notified about the cattle drift onto private
property in late summer of 2001, we have met several times with the
private landowner and the Nevada County Land Trust. The Nevada County Land
Trust holds a conservation easement for the Hart property. Forest staff
have visited the site to gain an understanding of why the cattle have been
drifting off the allotment onto private property, specifically to the
Darlingtonia site. Our staff met with the livestock owner and shared
concerns about this unique plant community. The forest discussed several
options for eliminating the drift problem with the permittee, and we
notified them that we will modify their annual operating permit to
emphasize control of livestock. In addition, the forest has encouraged the
landowner and the livestock owner to work together on this problem.
This is important because Nevada County is a closed range county. This
means the cattle owner has responsibilities for the behavior of the cattle
they own. We continue to ask the livestock owner and landowner to work
together to find solutions even as we take administrative action through
the annual operating permit. If the permittee does not comply with this
direction, other measures will be taken. We do not have cattle on this
allotment at this time. Cattle do not enter this allotment until June at
the earliest.
If you have further need to contact the Forest Service regarding this
site, please contact Kathy Van Zuuk,
(kvanzuuk(at)fs.fed.us) Nevada City
Ranger District Ecologist.
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