Class - Assignment Example

Response: What are the major economic, safety, animal rights, and civil rights issues for ranchers as a group? What are your most important priorities?
From a rancher’s point of view, safety of my cattle forms the number one priority for me. Anything that holds the potential to harm livestock is a problem for ranchers. Ranchers pay the federal government every year to exercise the right of letting livestock graze on public lands. Still, this practice is looked down upon by environmentalists who claim that this practice is creating a serious lack of vegetation. It is also claimed that supplementation by molasses is not included in the cattle’s diet. Such claims made by animal activists create problems for ranchers as a group. It should be remembered that our most important priority is our cattle and we do not make mistakes in supplementing their diet appropriately. Also, when all taxes are paid to government, private ranchers should be allowed to use public lands.
Taking all factors into consideration, what in your opinion, is the best management plan for the gray wolf population?
The best management plan for the gray wolf population should be based on recovering this precious species. The plan should essentially seek to recover or protect the gray wolf population which is already endangered. However, a good management plan must not override the interests of the local ranchers. Conflicts with cattle and influence of the gray wolf population on rest of the wildlife species must not be forgotten. The need of the time is to use a balanced approach which benefits both the gray wolf population and the ranchers and their livestock. The plan should seek to sustain the gray wolf population in a manner that it does not jeopardize the ranchers’ objectives, while also reducing impacts on other animals.
How would you advise and help guide the thinking of California’s officials when wolves inevitably get established in that state?
I would advise Californian officials to remember the core objectives of their wolf management plan when wolves do get established in the state. This will help them to address ranchers’ concerns in addition to effectively protecting the wolves. It is also important to create such opportunities which promote recreational uses of gray wolves. Of course, such recreational use should be in line with the official plans. In order to help guide the thinking and actions of California’s officials, I will also advise them to strictly control people and animal species in areas where the possibility of wolf predation is high.
Write out three recommendations you offer to California to ease their planned wolf reintroduction based on your experiences with the reintroduction in Idaho.
In order to make California’s officials ease their planned wolf reintroduction program, I will like to say from the viewpoint of a rancher that reintroduction of wolves in Idaho has served to create more damage than restoration of any animal species. There is much controversy over wolf reintroduction here in Idaho and one of the primary reasons for this controversy is based on the threat it poses to lives and livelihoods of ranchers. People from urban environments can never understand the issues encountered by ranchers. This is because they do not have to sit and see their lives and livelihoods being negatively affected by wolves. They just believe whatever they are told by animal activists in urban environments. It is only the group of ranchers which is acutely familiar with the negative impacts of wolf reintroduction. This is why my recommendation as a rancher would be to go a little easy on the wolf reintroduction program because ranchers have struggled for generations to eliminate the wolf threat. Reintroduction of wolves in Idaho has hurt feelings of many people belonging to occupations in which entry of wolves is not appreciated. Despite that fact that the wolf management plan in Idaho seeks to minimize conflicts between wolves and human interests (Gray et al., 2014), my experience says that this wolf reintroduction in Idaho has contributed to inculcate this feeling in such people that their concerns have not been respected by the government.
Reference:
Gray, M. et al. (2014, Jan 09). The Big Bad Wolf or Symbol of the American Wilderness? Gray Wolf Reintroduction in Idaho. Retrieved from http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/wolf_management.pdf Read More