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Home My WebLink About20072889.tiff United States Forest Pawnee 660"O"Street USDA Department of Service National Grassland Greeley,CO 80631 Agriculture Voice: (970)346-5000 TDD: (970)346-5015 Web: www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf Fax: (970)346-5014 File Code: 2250 Date: August 22, 2007 CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC ROLAND BALL PRESIDENT 43501 WCR 71 BRIGGSDALE CO 80611 Dear Roland: Approximately 19 out of 76 allotments on the Pawnee National Grassland were vacated between late June and mid-August due to poor forage conditions that caused these allotments to drop below the minimum allowable use standard of 300 lbs per acre. Heavy moisture received in late July/early August resulted in positive growth response by the dominant forage plants on the grassland: buffalo grass and blue grama. Blue grama that had gone dormant during the hot dry weather has re-emerged. This has been good news to all of us! In light of the current situation, the Forest Service was asked to consider allowing permittees to return their cattle to the allotments which were previously vacated. Consideration was given to research completed at the ARS Central Plains Experimental Range(CPER) on forage capacities, and a range professor from Colorado State University also provided some insight about current PNG range condition. Crow Valley Association board members and several Forest Service personnel also made a field visit together to many of the allotments in question. A determination has been made to allow permittees back on their allotments when the following conditions are met: • If sampling of the key areas in a vacated allotment shows 375 lbs per acre or greater forage, 70% of the livestock carrying capacity of the allotment can return. • This determination can be made by ocular measure if the allotment clearly exceeds 375 lbs per acres, or can be made by clipping, drying and weighing the vegetation. • Once cattle return to an allotment, they will be allowed to continue grazing as long as forage conditions do not drop below the allowable use limit of 300 lbs per acre. • PNG range staff will, along with permittees and association board members, continue to monitor allotment conditions as well as make determinations on an allotment by allotment basis. It will be a priority of the Range staff to notify board members as soon as possible with the results of these forage determinations. To date, 12 of the 19 vacated allotments have met the above requirements and permittees have been notified that they can return. Two of those have opted not to. Estimates from ARS-CPER staff indicate that cattle turned back onto an allotment at the 70% carry capacity and with 375 lbs/ac of forage should allow ranchers to graze approximately two additional months this season. Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper �• r P`il cs o J`c. ()(� ; PL �t 2007-2889 09 u I feel there is a need to provide further clarification on procedures utilized on the Pawnee National Grassland that are based on Forest Service grazing policies and best management practices for range. Several of the following questions have come up in discussion and at meetings: Question 1: Is the notification time for leaving allotments 7-10 days or 5 days? Usually a minimum of 5 days is granted to remove cattle from National Forest Service lands. However, if a minimum of forage is still available and/or there is some hardship, such as an inability to have the necessary personnel or equipment ready, this period may be extended, up to a total of 10 days. Question 2: What is the standard practice once cows are turned off an allotment? Can they return? Cattle are normally not returned to the allotment in the same season once allowable use has been reached. However, this year was unique in that cows were turned off as early as the end of June as a result of dry conditions, leaving after just a couple weeks into the grazing season. Forage responded positively to heavy rains received in late July/early August. This created an opportunity to allow cows back on this year. Question 3: Does the Forest Service measure all residual plants or edible forage only when determining if the allotment is meeting the 300 lbs per acre criteria? Many documents in the PNG files refer to the 300 lb/ac standard(for shortgrass structure)but don't define it as to whether that is forage only plants or all plant residue. However, Dan Milchanes,range professor at CSU, stated that his work indicates there is no more than 3-5% variation between measuring forage plants versus measuring all herbage. Question 4: How was the 300 lb/ac standard derived? Bement, 1958, established 300 lbs per ac as the standard to provide sustainable forage from year to year in shortgrass steppe ecosystems. Several PNG and Forest management documents call for residual plants to be left for: forage and habitat for wildlife, nutrients for re-cycling, litter cover that helps conserve soil moisture and reduce wind erosion, and a seed source for future livestock forage. Question 5: What does the Forest Service expect from permittees in regard to range monitoring? The Forest Service encourages permittee monitoring of the allotments not only because it is required as part of the grazing agreement,but also in order to foster better understanding for the permittees of the effects of range management practices and for the permittees to be more cooperatively involved with FS range management. For that reason, it needs to be understood that FS protocols regarding monitoring methods need to be used so that the data collected is consistent with data collected by FS range personnel. The PNG Range staff will assemble a simple curriculum and trainers to put on a range monitoring session in the spring of 2008 to meet those goals stated above. Question 6: What are permittees paying for with their grazing fees? By paying a grazing fee, permittees are authorized to graze on NFS lands at the authorized level specified in the Annual Operating Instructions within a pre-determined amount of time. This authorized level may or may not coincide with their maximum permitted number depending on the current range conditions. When cattle are brought on or removed from the allotments later or earlier than the season stated on the permit due to poor range conditions, the Forest Service reimburses the permittee for the un-used portion of the grazing period. It is important to remember that grazing fees do not pay for a specified amount of forage, and as long as range condition is good, cattle are allowed to graze on the PNG unless residual forage measures at or below 300 lbs per acre. Question 7: Do we need special permission to drive on roads that are closed to the public? The Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) should be finalized by the end of the year. This means all roads open to the public will be signed. All other roads will be closed or open for administrative use only. Since your grazing permit necessitates you driving on some of these administrative use roads, you will given a written authorization giving you permission to drive on these roads. A copy of this letter needs to be with you in your vehicle anytime you are driving on these roads. You will receive this authorization letter prior to next grazing season. In closing, I wish to maintain open and honest communications with the Permittees and Board members. We understand the drought and subsequent lack of forage has been a hardship on ranch families and their livelihood. The Forest Service is trying very hard to manage a sustainable grassland while also working to meet the ranchers' needs. I am asking each one of you that any problems be brought to our attention so we have the opportunity to correct it or respond to it. Sincerely, LORI A. BELL Acting District Ranger cc: Glenn Casamassa, Forest Supervisor Jacqueline Parks, Deputy Forest Supervisor Weld County Commissioners Ann Brewster Deb Carlstrom Brian Oakes Mac McGraw Zane Kessler CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC ROLAND BALL PRESIDENT THOMAS BAUR VICE PRESIDENT 43501 WCR 71 51838 WCR 51 BRIGGSDALE CO 80611 AULT CO 80610 CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC JAMES CURTIS SECRETARY LEONARD BALL DIRECTOR 39251 WCR 100 43510 WCR 69 BRIGGSDALE CO 80611 BRIGGSDALE CO 80611 CROW VALLEY LIVESTOCK COOP INC PAWNEE COOPERATIVE GRAZING ASS'N ARVID DEPORTER DIRECTOR ROBERT ROHN PRESIDENT 14503 WCR 108 53228 WCR 106 NUNN CO 80648 GROVER CO 80729 PAWNEE COOPERATIVE GRAZING ASSN PAWNEE COOPERATIVE GRAZING ASSN LEONARD HARMS VICE PRESIDENT GARY DOLLERSCHELL SECRETARY HC 63 BOX 67 46001 WCR 153 BUSHNELL NE 69128 STONEHAM CO 80754 PAWNEE COOPERATIVE GRAZING ASSN PAWNEE COOPERATIVE GRAZING ASSN ROBERT HILL DIRECTOR L. JAMES WALKER DIRECTOR 48920 WCR 86 56132 WCR 135 BRIGGSDALE CO 80611 NEW RAYMER CO 80742 ANN BREWSTER DEB CARLSTROM 5401 STONE CREEK CIRCLE, STE 203 109'/2 S 3RD STREET LOVELAND CO 80538 STERLING CO 80751 BRIAN OAKES MAC MCGRAW 5400 WEST 11TH STEET 109 E. RAILROAD AVE GREELEY CO 80634 FORT MORGAN CO 80701 ZANE KESSLER WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 11 OLD TOWN SQUARE, STE 260 P.O. BOX 758 FORT COLLINS CO 80524 GREELEY CO 80632 Hello