The Environmental Conservationists Against the Cattle Keepers - Term Paper Example

GRAZING IN ALPINE HIGH COUNTRY, VICTORIA, MELBOURNE Introduction The Alpine High County in Victoria, Melbourne is an expansive region that forms part of the larger and spectacular Australian Alps. According to Parks Victoria (2014), the Alpine High Country is home to the Alpine National Park which is famous for its stunning landscape comprising of numerous mountain peaks, mountainous plains that are well covered by grass, plunging waterfalls, and escarpments. The Alpine National Park is a popular destination for both local and international tourists especially because tourists can engage in many personal and group feats such as hiking, nature trails, water diving in the waterfalls, bush walking, mountain climbing, camping, horse-riding, and canoeing, flower sampling, and skiing during the winter (Parks Victoria, 2014). Recently, Alpine High Country has come to the limelight again for all the wrong reasons; controversies over allowing herders to graze their domesticated cattle in the country, and more so in the Alpine National Park. This has pitted the environmental conservationists against the cattle keepers in a fierce battle of words. The battle has since escalated to the national level and now requires the intervention of the political system and the courts. We may be tempted to ask how a national reserve got embroiled in a grazing controversy and especially because of its significance and protection. Quite interestingly, the park was once a grazing area for cattle herders prior to its elevation as a national treasure. With the dwindling resources and a growing global beef demand, Australian cattle farmers have once again trained their sights on the plush grazing lands in the National reserves for their multi-million dollar business. They have pulled all stops in their push to gain access into the parks including political lobbying, public justifications, and so on. This has attracted the wrath of environmentalists, and other conservative stakeholders. Discussion The state of Victoria is located on the South-Eastern lower end of the Australian continent, and is home to the city of Melbourne. Victoria borders the state of New South Wales. These two states hold the beautiful Australian Alps. The entire Alpine region is a conglomeration of national parks and reserves. The Victorian part of the Alps boasts of five national parks namely Kosciuszko National Park, Snowy River National Park, Mt. Buffalo National Park, Alpine National Park, Avon Wilderness Park, and Baw Baw National Park. The following two images extracted from AussieSnow (2014) and WordPress (2014) depict the location of the Alpine High Country; Map of Australia Showing Alpine Region (Victoria and New South Wales) Map of Alpine Tourist Walking Track Bennett (2014), reports that the practice of grazing cattle in the National Park is not new. Cattle-men have always been feeding their cattle on the grass plains of the mountains from as far back as the 1860s. There is a legendary and remote valley in the Alps called Wonnangatta Station where cattle owners used to graze up to 1200 cattle. This valley was later abandoned by the herders and it became part of the Alpine National Park in 1990. According to the Guardian (2014), cattle grazing in the Wonnangatta Station had taken place for over a century. However, this practice ceased when the Federal Labour government banned grazing in the park in 2005. Backed by this history, and motivated by flourishing vegetation in the Alpine National Part, the cattle owners around the Victorian mountains have now petitioned the government to allow them to herd their cattle again in the Alpine National Park and the surrounding grassy mountain plains. The cattle owners argue that grazing reduces the risk of bush fires by eliminating most of the grass and shrubs on the ground that fuel wild fires. They also sought to win public opinion by fronting the fact that grazing in the Alps was a traditional and cultural activity because it was practiced in the 1800s, and therefore it formed part of the Australian National heritage that needed to be preserved and not banned. Again, Bennett (2014) asserts that the cattle owners have been looking for political backing by supporting the incoming government at Canberra in the hope that the government would be supportive to its course. Furthermore, the cattle owners have applied for Federal approval for controlled grazing in trial mode for a specific number of cattle in a specific Alpine location. If they could win political sympathy and the trial grazing, the cattle owners might as well win their grazing aspirations in the future. These arguments and aspirations have pulled another stakeholder into the fray, the scientists, who vehemently oppose this position arguing that grazing cattle damage foliage and in fact destroy fauna which naturally maintains the ecological balance necessary for the sustainability of the mountain vegetation and wildlife. According to Bennett (2014), an official of the Victorian National Parks Association asserts that extensive research conducted on the effects of grazing on the park for over 60 years revealed that grazing is more detrimental to the park than it is beneficial. In 2005, the State Government Task force charged with determining the effects of grazing in the Alpine High Country upheld this same view, adding that grazing did little to alleviate wild fires. A comparison between fire occurrences and its severity in grazed areas and fire occurrences in un-grazed areas did not reveal any differences to support the claim by cattle owners that grazing had a impeding effect on wild fires. This is what led to the grazing ban. Further complications for the cattle owners emerged from the recognition of the Aborigines as the traditional owners of the Alpine High Country (Parks Victoria, 2014). This recognition then supports the argument that Aboriginal culture and traditions constitute national heritage, effectively eroding the notion that cattle owners Alpine grazing was a cultural practice. In 2013, the Victorian government attempted to lift the 2005 ban but failed miserably. The Guardian (2014) notes a similar attempt to remove the grazing ban in 2011 by the National Party that was quickly thwarted by the Labour government. Again, Harris (2014) asserts that the government intended to lift the ban in 2011 by exposing about 40,000 hectares of Alpine grassland for trial grazing. The Victorian National Parks Association has been a vehement crusader for the preservation of the park since the 1970s and has constantly resisted attempts to re-introduce grazing in the Alps. The hope of the new Victorian Government was renewed in 2014 when the cattle owners placed the petition for an Alpine grazing trial for a period of three years (Harris, 2014). Despite a spirited attempt by environmentalists to block the re-introduction of Alpine grazing, and the mounting public support for the preservation of the Alpine National Park, Greg Hunt, the Australian Environment minister literally pulled a stunt when he allowed the grazing trial requested by cattle owners to proceed. According to the Guardian (2014), the minister, a high-ranking official of the Federal Government, allowed the re-introduction of 60 cattle into the Wonnangatta Station on a trial basis, a number that would grow to 300 in the near future. 262 hectares of Alpine Grassland would be hived off by the government for this purpose. He supported the cause of the National party that aimed to utilize the Alpine National Park as a both a recreational facility and a grazing field. The Guardian (2014) argues that the environment minister justified his action by promising protection and conservation of all the species that would face any threats from gazing, and also preserving the national heritage of the Aboriginal culture. The purpose of the trial was to determine if indeed the controlled grazing would reduce the risk of fire and subsequently provide protection for the Alpine Environment. In a move seemingly intended to pacify the detractors of the grazing trial, the government indicates that the cattle grazing will operated within an umbrella of 33 strict conditions. According to Harris (2014), such conditions would include the erection of an electric fence on the designated trial area, the supervision by only experienced herdsmen, grazing on specific area, and so on. It is quite interesting to note that the government chose to ignore previous research by reputable organization such as CSIRO (Harris, 2014), arguing that the approach it would use would be radically different and thus it would hopefully produce different results that allegedly would show the true state of affairs. The government explains its position through DEPI (2014) arguing that the grazing trial is a process of investigating the impact of strategic grazing on the management of bushfire fuels. It will combine several livestock grazing methods and assess their efficacy in reducing bushfire fuels. DEPI asserts that the trials are government measures to protect the national parks from bush fires. In an attempt to win public opinion, DEPI (2014) explains that grazing in the Alpine region commenced in 1840. Hopefully, this would justify the position that indeed Alpine grazing was a cultural practice and not an invasion of national parks. The AAS (2014) disputes this arguing that DEPI, a government body cannot purport to be engaging in scientific research against the government. AAS (2014, p. 3) is also alarmed by the indifference the government has shown to previous research. AAS (2014, p. 4) argues that even if the trial was a success, it would be for a specific area and time, and thus cannot represent the whole Alpine region. Worse still, the report will be complete in itself and will not be subject to peer review, thus discouraging and condemning divergent opinion. The worst effect according to the AAS (2014, p. 5) is the desecration of an IUCN decoration of the Australian parks as a world centre of plant biodiversity. This coupled with the destruction of both flora and fauna by cow hooves and foliage destruction will serious degrade the national parks. The position taken by the current government is intended to win the political support of the Mountain Cattlemen Association of Victoria which commands huge and powerful influence within the political system of Victoria. According to Harris (2014), during the political election campaign period of 2010, the personalities in the current Victorian government promised to allow the return of Alpine cattle grazing if they won the election. Now that they are in government, they must return the favour to the powerful Mountain Cattlemen Association of Victoria. It would seem then that the purpose of the trial as espoused by Greg Hunt is neither honest nor justified. Seemingly, it would be motivated by political interests rather than public interests. Again, Harris (2014) exposes a contradiction by the government in the statement made by the environment minister that the government would engage in more research on the impact of grazing on threatened communities and species, for example the Aboriginal culture. Conducting a research after the government had already sanctioned Alpine grazing is tantamount to condemning the threatened communities and species if indeed grazing proved to be detrimental. The grazing trial sanctioned by the government did not go unchallenged. Milman (2014) asserts that the Victorian National Park Association (VNPA) has gained the support of Environmental Justice Victoria (EJV) to provide legal support as it institutes a case in the Supreme Court against the Alpine grazing trial. VNPA argues that Alpine grazing “undermines the integrity of national parks” and will result in the loss of a national heritage investment in the future. Perhaps VNPA’s most compelling argument is that grazing acts against the purpose of a national park which, simply put is to conserve nature. Active human and domesticated animal life such as grazing cows contravenes and undermines the conservation of nature. A national park loses its conservatory value and appeal when it opens its doors to uninhibited human activity. Again VNPA foresees the growth in demand for more Alpine space for grazing if this trial “succeeds” (Milman, 2014) which could easily lead to the invasion and depletion of National parks. Conclusion It is obvious that the grazing trials are political tools for advancing political careers of certain people and their parties at the expense of the environment and consequently countries economy. A national park may no longer serve its conservation role if its flora and fauna are not left to flourish on their own. Domesticated animals such as cows are also exposed to drugs and pathogens that do not exist in a virgin natural environment. Grazing domesticated animals in a natural conservancy is the equivalent of desecrating it. Again, the “success” of these trials would fuel and justify the appetite for more grazing land in the Alps. Should this be allowed, then that would spell doom to the Australian National Parks as large numbers of cows and the cattle-keepers stream into the national parks. Grazing in the Alpine High Country should be discouraged by all means possible. References Australian Academy of Science (AAS). (2014, February). Submission to the Department of Environment and Primary Industries: Wonnangatta Valley Research Trial. Retrieved 26 August 2014, from, http://www.science.org.au/sites/default/files/user-content/grazingimpactonbushfirefueltrail.pdf Aussie Snow. (2014). Map of Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2014, from, http://www.aussiesnow.com.au/images/australia.gif Bennett, J. (2014, June 1). Should cattle graze in the Victoria’s Alpine National Park? Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 21 August 2014, from, http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3921363.htm Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI). (2014). Grazing Impact on Bushfire Fuel Trial. Retrieved 24 August 2014, from, http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fire-and-emergencies/managing-risk-and-learning-about-managing-fire/grazing-impact-on-bushfire-fuel-trial Harris, R. (2014, March 6). Government Gives Nod to Cattle Return to Alpine Grazing in the Alpine National Park. The Weekly Times. Retrieved 25 August 2014, from, http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/government-gives-nod-to-cattle-return-to-alpine-national-park/story-fnkf0qeh-1226846550609 Milman, O. (2014, May 16). Victorian Cattle Grazing Re-introduction to be Challenged in Supreme Court. The Guardian. Retrieved 26August 2014, from, http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/16/victorian-cattle-grazing-reintroduction-to-be-challenged-in-supreme-court Parks Victoria. (2014). Change of Conditions. Alpine National Park. Retrieved 18 August 2014, from, http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/alpine-national-park The Guardian. (2014, March 6). Greg Hunt Allows Cattle Grazing Trial in Victoria’s Alpine National Park. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 26 August 2014, from, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/greg-hunt-allows-cattle-grazing-trial-in-victorias-alpine-national-parkhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/06/greg-hunt-allows-cattle-grazing-trial-in-victorias-alpine-national-park Wordpress. (2014). Map of Australian Alps Walking Track. Retrieved 26 August 2014, from, http://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/alps-map-parks.gif Read More

This valley was later abandoned by the herders and it became part of the Alpine National Park in 1990. According to the Guardian (2014), cattle grazing in the Wonnangatta Station had taken place for over a century. However, this practice ceased when the Federal Labour government banned grazing in the park in 2005. Backed by this history, and motivated by flourishing vegetation in the Alpine National Part, the cattle owners around the Victorian mountains have now petitioned the government to allow them to herd their cattle again in the Alpine National Park and the surrounding grassy mountain plains.

The cattle owners argue that grazing reduces the risk of bush fires by eliminating most of the grass and shrubs on the ground that fuel wild fires. They also sought to win public opinion by fronting the fact that grazing in the Alps was a traditional and cultural activity because it was practiced in the 1800s, and therefore it formed part of the Australian National heritage that needed to be preserved and not banned. Again, Bennett (2014) asserts that the cattle owners have been looking for political backing by supporting the incoming government at Canberra in the hope that the government would be supportive to its course.

Furthermore, the cattle owners have applied for Federal approval for controlled grazing in trial mode for a specific number of cattle in a specific Alpine location. If they could win political sympathy and the trial grazing, the cattle owners might as well win their grazing aspirations in the future. These arguments and aspirations have pulled another stakeholder into the fray, the scientists, who vehemently oppose this position arguing that grazing cattle damage foliage and in fact destroy fauna which naturally maintains the ecological balance necessary for the sustainability of the mountain vegetation and wildlife.

According to Bennett (2014), an official of the Victorian National Parks Association asserts that extensive research conducted on the effects of grazing on the park for over 60 years revealed that grazing is more detrimental to the park than it is beneficial. In 2005, the State Government Task force charged with determining the effects of grazing in the Alpine High Country upheld this same view, adding that grazing did little to alleviate wild fires. A comparison between fire occurrences and its severity in grazed areas and fire occurrences in un-grazed areas did not reveal any differences to support the claim by cattle owners that grazing had a impeding effect on wild fires.

This is what led to the grazing ban. Further complications for the cattle owners emerged from the recognition of the Aborigines as the traditional owners of the Alpine High Country (Parks Victoria, 2014). This recognition then supports the argument that Aboriginal culture and traditions constitute national heritage, effectively eroding the notion that cattle owners Alpine grazing was a cultural practice. In 2013, the Victorian government attempted to lift the 2005 ban but failed miserably. The Guardian (2014) notes a similar attempt to remove the grazing ban in 2011 by the National Party that was quickly thwarted by the Labour government.

Again, Harris (2014) asserts that the government intended to lift the ban in 2011 by exposing about 40,000 hectares of Alpine grassland for trial grazing. The Victorian National Parks Association has been a vehement crusader for the preservation of the park since the 1970s and has constantly resisted attempts to re-introduce grazing in the Alps. The hope of the new Victorian Government was renewed in 2014 when the cattle owners placed the petition for an Alpine grazing trial for a period of three years (Harris, 2014).

Despite a spirited attempt by environmentalists to block the re-introduction of Alpine grazing, and the mounting public support for the preservation of the Alpine National Park, Greg Hunt, the Australian Environment minister literally pulled a stunt when he allowed the grazing trial requested by cattle owners to proceed.

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