N RANCHING


atural Resources


When Cattle Graze Down Forage, They Graze Down Fire Fuel By Gary DiGiuseppe


R


ANCHERS HAVE A TOOL TO REDUCE THE RISK AND INTENSITY of fi re — their herds. The best way to reduce the buildup of fuel


— the matter that contributes to a fi re, like forage and brush — is “just a good grazing management program,” says Jay Evans. Evans, who manages ranches in the Panhandle and on the South Plains, says, “It’s just a natural fi t to make sure that we are maintaining a good grazing program, one that is not only a positive land stewardship program, but that also mitigates the risk of an overload of fuel buildup.” This past year, Evans bought some stockers to help


do the job. “In a year where you have a particular fuel buildup, you could purchase additional stocker cattle, lightweight yearlings, and run them on grass to help reduce that fuel buildup through livestock consump- tion,” he says. Those producers who need to reduce fuel load but


are not in a position to own stocker cattle could take in someone else’s cattle on a gain or pasture basis. “It was a little challenging this past year because we had more grass than cattle,” he says, “but in most cases, you


50 The Cattleman April 2016


can fi nd some stocker cattle and/or have the opportu- nity to purchase some cattle. When I go to somebody who is mainly focused on wildlife and may not run a lot of cattle or any at all, they could offer the property for lease, or establish a long-time relationship with a livestock ranching-type operation to utilize that fuel and not get overdone with that buildup.” Evans, a director of Texas and Southwestern Cattle


Raisers Association (TSCRA) and chair of the associa- tion’s Natural Resources and Environment Com- mittee, says they are trying to build a strong awareness program for ranchers. “So much of the con-


trolled burn issue, and dealing with the wild- fi re issue, has to be done in advance, like being prepared and under- standing how to deal


Jay Evans, TSCRA director and chair of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee.


thecattlemanmagazine.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108