The Nature conservancy

[Prairie Drifter]

I guess everyone has a different way of looking at things, but I think it is extremely important that we preserve places in a natural condition for the future even if I can't use it for any reason! When I drive across the country, the things that stick out most to me are the acres where WE have truly abused the native habitat that once existed there and left a shameful scar or modified habitat that isn't even capable of supporting the indigenous species that had occupied it for centuries before our arrival. Frequently I ask how folks can afford to own land that is so abused or mismanaged! I don't have to be able to use these acres in order to respect their usefulness!

 

[quail hound]

I don't have to be able to use these acres in order to respect their usefulness!

:10sign::cheers:

 

[3car]

:10sign::cheers:

But I have seen thousands of acres of federal properties be invaded by cool season grasses and Canada thistle due to lack of management or lack of grazing. Now the native prairie component to those units are barely noticeable. "Use" or management is necessary in a grassland system. Wildlife use will decrease when conditions occur like I mentioned as well. Fire and grazing is crucial to grassland management.

 

[Prairie Drifter]

But I have seen thousands of acres of federal properties be invaded by cool season grasses and Canada thistle due to lack of management or lack of grazing. Now the native prairie component to those units are barely noticeable. "Use" or management is necessary in a grassland system. Wildlife use will decrease when conditions occur like I mentioned as well. Fire and grazing is crucial to grassland management.

Home Run 3car! Unfortunately, on the other side of the fence we often find misuse and mismanagement, both just as destructive to wildlife as extreme rest or lack of management. As for introduced species, my challenge to everyone is: next time you take a trip, take along a notebook. Everytime you stop, write down what plant species you step out of the vehicle onto. When you get home, look them up and write an "N" beside them for non-native, or an "I" for indigenous then let us know the score!!! I'm afraid the demon is out of the bag on non-native species. Canada thistle is an ugly one. I dealt with it in NW Kansas when I worked up there! That might be the only reason I wouldn't want to go back up there! It is nice to have some of your work be positive in nature, not always "undoing" something that isn't supposed to be there!

 

[mnmthunting]

I have a piece of property that borders 1/4 section of irrigated potatoes. They moved in a few years ago. Of course there will NEVER be and hunting or wildlife of any kind on that quarter. Even bees and other good insects are doomed if they venture near the area. (there is nothing more barren and poisoned then a irrigated potato field.
One could argue Chernobyl I suppose.

So would I rather the land be owned by the Nature Conservancy wilth no hunting allowed. DUH! absolutely.
LOTS worse stuff going on with land then the NC.

 

[Uncle Buck]

But I have seen thousands of acres of federal properties be invaded by cool season grasses and Canada thistle due to lack of management or lack of grazing. Now the native prairie component to those units are barely noticeable. "Use" or management is necessary in a grassland system. Wildlife use will decrease when conditions occur like I mentioned as well. Fire and grazing is crucial to grassland management.

Can certainly agree with this.
Now about the feral (not wild horses---they do not exist) they have runied a lot of habitat.

 

[quail hound]

Can certainly agree with this.
Now about the feral (not wild horses---they do not exist) they have runied a lot of habitat.

BLM reports on range degradation are as biased toward horses as environmental groups reports are to cattle and both should be taken with a grain of salt imo.

Where at? Over stocking of cattle on rangeland sure has but I'm not sure I believe wild horse (if pheasants can be wild so can horses) have the impact that some seem to believe they do.

 

[quail hound]

I suspect were talking about different types of grasslands though. Unlike the plains the western range land has mostly evolved without a large herbivor present.