-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
/
Copy pathconcepts-trc.html
337 lines (179 loc) · 18.3 KB
/
concepts-trc.html
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Basic concepts</TITLE>
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="...philosophical concepts that form the basic of our group's preservation work.">
<META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="Texas, ranching, culture, lifestyle, rangeland, native, rangelands, resources, soil, water, ranchers, ranches, cowboys, horses, cattle, rangefed, grassfed, beef, wildlife">
<META NAME="Author" CONTENT="Nol Ward">
</HEAD>
<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=0 BORDER=0><BR>
<BODY background="pictures/boardbdr.jpg" link="#852A2A" vlink="#404080">
<Font face="Microsoft Sans Serif" size="2">
<center>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 WIDTH=625 BORDER=0 ALIGN="middle">
<TR>
<TD style="width:25%" align="left" valign="middle">
<img src="pictures/millsunset2.jpg" width="225" height="187" alt="Sunset on the prairie" border="0">
</TD>
<TD style="width:60%" align="left" valign="middle"><center><font size="+1"><font face="Arial Narrow"><i><B>Texas Ranching Conservancy</i></font><BR><font face="Arial"><font color="C35617"><H3>Concepts that form the basis of our <br> group's preservation approach</H3></font></center>
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="35" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan="2">
<p>This page sets-forth a partial list of philosophical concepts that form the basis of our group's preservation approach in the field of rangeland ranching. The list is broken down into the following sub-groups: general concepts, rangeland ranching concepts, and rangeland concepts.</p>
<p>The concepts can be used by teachers as topics for classroom discussion, and as topics for challenging students to think!</p>
<p>If you have any questions or comments on any of the concepts we are presenting, or if you have a concept or opinion that needs to be considered, please don't hesitate giving us a holler!</p>
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="40" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#80441C" height="8" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="35" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan="2">
<p><b>General concepts</b></p>
<ol>
<li> Principle components of our state's, our country's old-time ranching heritage, culture, and pastoral way of life are:<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ol>
<li> mid- and large-size working ranches<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> vast undivided areas of agriculturally and ecologically important rangeland -- either desert, prairie, savanna, or forest type<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> old-time ranching skills and traditions<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> full-time working ranchers and cowboys<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> special breeds, strains, and bloodlines of ranch horses, stock dogs, and range-adapted livestock -- including cattle, sheep, and goats<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> highly nutritious range-aged beef<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> climax species of native range grasses and forbs<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> healthy populations of range-dependent wildlife<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ol>
<li> Examples of old-time ranching skills and traditions include both ranch-house and chuck-wagon cooking, bunkhouse living, cowboy poetry and song, training cutting and roping horses, training stock dogs, managing where livestock graze, annual fall and spring round-ups, penning and working cattle, trail drives, and loading cattle for shipping.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> The greatest threat to our country's old-time ranching heritage, culture, and pastoral way of life is loss of mid- and large-size working ranches, and loss of spacious areas of agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Preserving our state's, our country's remaining mid- and large-size working ranches is important because after they are gone, the cultural lifestyle and wildlife they support, the agricultural products they produce, as well as the ecological services their grazing land provide will be gone too.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Livestock ranching in harmony with native rangelands requires ranchers, cowboys, livestock, and rangelands to coexist over time without degrading the range's soil, water, vegetation, and wildlife resources.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Any serious approach towards minimizing the negative effects of man-induced greenhouse gas emissions on the environment must include offering private ranch owners in Texas and other range states and regions a financial incentive to manage native rangelands for carbon sequestration and other ecological purposes, as well as for low stocking rate livestock grazing.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Offering full-time working ranchers a financial incentive to practice light stocking and other sound range management practices would be an effective way to<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ol>
<li> improve the financial, ecological, and social viability of rangeland ranching<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> improve the agricultural and ecological health of our country's rangelands for the benefit of society<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> mitigate long-term climate change, and minimize the negative effects of man-made global warming.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ol>
<li> Other ways to demonstrate responsible use of taxpayer money would be to<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ul>
<li> employ <u>qualified</u> full-time working ranchers to manage the conservation of our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> employ <u>unemployed</u> people in towns and cities to help remove invading brush, and do other types of rangeland conservation and restoration work.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ul>
<li> Trends in <u>loss</u> of mid- and large-size working ranches, and vast areas of agriculturally and ecologically important rangeland tend to parallel trends in population growth, and trends in public demand for small tracks of rangeland for residential and commercial development purposes.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ol>
<p><b>Rangeland ranching concepts</b></p>
<ol>
<li> The hardest thing about rangeland ranching, as a vocational way of life, is achieving financial and social prosperity and happiness without degrading and fragmenting our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands in the process.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Most rangeland ranches in Texas have been degraded and fragmented to the point where they no longer have enough animal unit carrying capacity to make rangeland ranching financially viable on an one-operation (independent) basis.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> If Texas continues losing mid- and large-size working ranches in the same amounts as was lost during the past fifty years, it won't be long before there's nothing left to preserve or restore, especially in the southern, central, and coastal regions of our state.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> In order for small- and mid-size operations to achieve long-term prosperity in the range cattle business, they must be willing to do the following three things: (1) work in association with local or regional ranchers; (2) opt for a common ranching philosophy; and (3) opt for a common method of ranching.<br><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Three principle requirements for preserving rangeland ranching in Texas and other range states and regions are:<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ol>
<li> <u>recognizing</u> past and present rangeland ranching problems and mistakes<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> <u>replacing</u> past and present rangeland ranching problems and mistakes with viable solutions<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> <u>opting</u> for a method of rangeland ranching that is financially viable, ecologically responsible, and socially acceptable, and can be maintained over an indefinite period of time without degrading the ranges soil, water, vegetation, and wildlife resources.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ol>
<li> The cornerstone of long-term (sustainable) rangeland ranching is practicing sound range management on a year-in and year-out basic.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ol>
<p><b>Rangeland concepts</b></p>
<ol>
<li> It's a simple fact that further degradation and fragmentation of our state's, our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands, in conjunction with further emissions of "greenhouse" gases in the atmosphere will end-up <u>intensifying</u> the damaging effects of man-induced climate change and man-induced global warming.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> It is way past time for people around the world to begin appreciating the ecosystem goods and services that healthy rangelands provide for the long-term welfare of society.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Examples of ecosystem goods and services that healthy rangelands provide for societal benefit include: <BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ul>
<li> healthy food, natural fiber, and valuable by-products for human consumption
<li> natural habitat for grazing cultures, livestock, wildlife, and fish
<li> recharge of below- and above-ground aquifers
<li> purification of water going into aquifers, streams, and rivers
<li> watershed protection and natural flood control
<li> maintains soil and ecological buffering capacity
<li> regenerates soil and water fertility
<li> creates new soil, thus improves carbon storage capacity
<li> creates and maintains vascular structures for delivering soil and water nutrients to plants
<li> removes carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" emissions out of the atmosphere
<LI> transmits life-supporting oxygen in the air
<li> sequesters carbon in below and above-ground biomass
<li> detoxifies and degrades waste materials and pollution
<li> climate change mitigation
<li> maintains diversity in native flora and fauna
<li> natural control of pathogenic and parasitic organisms
<li> habitat for pollinators of cultivated and wild plants
<li> opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other types of recreation
<li> natural setting for cultural, social, and spiritual enrichment.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ul>
<li> Reality tells us that a high percent of our state's, our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands have been severely degraded, fragmented, and polluted by human activities and development, and they no longer provide high levels of plant and animal life.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Further degradation and fragmentation of our state's, our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands will lead to<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<ul>
<li> further increase in man-induced climate change and an intensified rate of man-induced global warming<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> further decrease in ecosystem goods and services that rangelands provide for human survival<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> further decrease in natural habitat for ranchers, cowboys, livestock, wildlife, and fish<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> further demise of our state's, our country's rangeland ranching heritage, culture, and pastoral way of life.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
</ul>
<li> Sorry to say that very few people in the U.S. and around the world recognize the importance for preserving native rangeland types and areas with high agricultural and ecological value to society.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Based on past and current trends in loss of agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands around the world, the only rangeland types that will be left for the benefit of future generations will be the least productive types, or in other words, the rangelands with the <u>lowest</u> agricultural and ecological value to society.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Under natural condition, desert and short-grass rangelands are extremely stingy when it comes to passing out ecosystem goods and services for supporting life.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - Also stingy are mid-grass and tall-grass types that have been ruined by range degradation and fragmentation. Or, in other words, rangeland types that are no longer agriculturally and ecologically valuable.</p>
<li> Man-induced <u>degradation</u>, <u>fragmentation</u>, and <u>pollution</u> of vast areas of prairie and savanna rangeland leads to permanent loss of healthy populations of white-tail deer, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, bob-white quail, and other species of range-dependent wildlife.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Large wildlife numbers on degraded and fragmented rangelands, coupled with a reduction in natural predators (cougars, wolves, etc.), results in reducing the growth rate, body size, and body condition of range-dependent wildlife.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - It also results in causing more disease and high death rates.</p>
<li> Sad to say that past and present ruin of our state's, our country's agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands (mostly mid-grass and tall-grass prairie and savanna types) by human activities and development has has been and continues to be done one small piece at a time, and presently there are no signs of stopping the destruction.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - Hopefully this land-use trend can be changed before all hope is lost.</p>
<li> Trying to regenerate native rangelands destroyed by human-induced degradation, fragmentation, and pollution is a slow and time-consuming process, and may required hundreds or thousands of years to accomplish. In fact, native rangelands destroyed by human activities and development may be lost forever, no matter what people say, think, or do.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<!--
<p><u>Comment</u> - It should be noted that, from a human viewpoint, efforts to restore a rangeland ecosystem destroyed by human activities and development generally ends-up as an unachievable endeavor, as a total waste of time, money, energy, and resources. From a planetary viewpoint, efforts to restore a degraded, fragmented, and polluted rangeland ecosystem is a normal evolutionary process that may or may not occur over an infinity period of time.</p>
-->
<li> There are no man-made (artificial) <u>substitutes</u> for the ecosystem goods and services that our country's, our planet's rangelands provide for the benefit of societies around the world.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - Once they are gone, they are gone forever, and our country's, our planet's per animal unit carrying capacity is reduced to what our country's, our planet's remaining rangelands are able to support.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Accumulative loss of agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands around the world, in conjunction with an always growing population, leads to world-wide poverty, malnutrition, famine, disease, anarchy, immigration, and fighting for existence.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - Or, in other words, will lead to reducing the quality of life for present and future generations around the world.</p>
<li> Humans are the only animal species that destroy the life-support system that Nature has provided for their survival, and describe their destruction as "making progress".<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=20 BORDER=0><BR>
<li> Civilizations throughout human history have demonstrated the ability to plant seeds, grow crops, and build cities and empires, but <u>zero</u> have demonstrated the ability to recreate the agriculturally and ecologically important rangelands that civilized man has destroyed by his farming agriculture, resource mining, energy extraction, urbanization, and other types of man-induced activities and development.<BR><IMG SRC="pictures/dot_clear.gif" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 BORDER=0><BR>
<p><u>Comment</u> - It seems like civilized man is destined to plant, grow, build, explore, and technologically advance himself right out of existence.</p>
</ol>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="10" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#80441C" height="8" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="30" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan="2">
<P><b><A HREF="index.html#contents">Back</a></b> to <b>TRC</b>'s index page</p>
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD bgcolor="#FFFFFF" height="50" colspan="2">
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD colspan="2">
<address>
<font size="-1">
<P>http://www.texasranchingconservancy.com/concepts-trc.html
</font>
</address>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
</center>
</font>
</body>
</html>