Customer Reviews

Waste of the West: Public Lands Ranching

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Lynn Jacobs has compiled extensive research on the negative impacts of cattle grazing on public land across the western U.S. and beyond. "Waste of the West" captures the duplicity of the public lands agencies, primarilly the BLM, in "managing" our public lands, not for true multiple public uses such as hiking or camping, but to allow unfettered accesses for one thing, the cow.

Jacobs details the ecological damage that results from cattle grazing in the arid west. From destruction of essential riparian habitat for birds and river species, to the denuded hills and valleys resulting from the all-consuming nature of the cow. In areas that once flourished with native fish and wildlife, the cow, in numerous cases, has chewed and trampled these biologically rich zones down to little more than dirt. Jacobs elucidates this point with numerous photos of cattle-ravaged lands.

With "Waste of the West's" rich mix of policy and ecology centered around the issue of cattle grazing, anyone even remotely interested in the protection of our public lands would be irresponsible to leave this volume unread.

Do a google search for this title and find its written contents online (minus the pictures). The "real" version is definitely worth it, however, since pictures don't lie. There are hundreds of them. Eyeball the fenceline contrasts and exclosures (areas fenced off from grazing) and see the true impact of irresponsible grazing. Get an eyefull of a pile of cougar heads, burned-alive coyote pups and other "vermin" killed with your tax dollars under the guise of "predator control."

Ignore the reviewers who give this book a zero. One asserts that the book shows no knowledge about western ecosystems, yet the reviewer provides not one fact to support that argument. Take a look at the other books she's reviewed...she doesn't strike me as anyone in the position to make any assertion about ecosystems and science. She even gets the sex of the author wrong...and this is someone who has actually READ this book? Give me a break... There is an extensive bibliography FULL of "science"...show me the last time the public lands ranching industry has tried a similar effort to justify their practices?

Yes the book talks about "welfare ranching," and hard work has nothing to do with it. Most ranching families DO work hard; this books says nothing to the contrary. But a black single mother in Chicago getting federal $$$ is labeled a welfare mother, but ranchers getting free fencing, dirt-cheap grazing rental rates on federal land, federally-funded water and road projects, etc. etc....this "American individualism and hard work"??? Call a spade a spade... One of the many dirty secrets the ranching community would like you to ignore.

The other reviewer states that ranchers are politically powerless. You've GOT to be kidding...and you're writing out of the state of Wyoming? Read the book and the pages and pages of examples of how well-connected and politically-powerful ranching interests have kept the laws working in their favor over the years. It is also noteable that the reviewer concedes the main point of the book: abuse of public lands at the hands of ranchers. But then the focus is shifted to another issue entirely: development. Development is certainly a concern, but the "cows or condos" bumper-stickers cleverly overshadow a third choice: neither.

Read this and decide for yourself.

By far this is one of the most important pieces of information that the public must know about. Jacobs details the paramount damage ranching has done to our public lands. If you care about our planet, the west, wildlife, and even your own health, this is a must read. Certainly a worthy investment for our future.

As a person that grew up in the rural culture myself I came to consider cattle vermin on the land after years of observing how incredibly destructive they are. When I discovered Lynn Jacobs book I found the best reflection of my own thoughts and experinaces ever, she nailed the subject with such accuracy. If you want to know the truth of how destructive cattle are this is the book to read and pass on. This issue needs to come up more in the public dialog on how our public lands should be managed and passed on to the next generation. With further education I have no doubt that the public will decide to remove cattle from all public lands, just as I decided growing up in cattle country years ago. This book is an important resource to bring the truth into the public dialog. READ IT!

this is a totally ignorant off base look at cattle ranching in
the west. It should be ignored!!!

My title says it all ... the author uses quotes extracted from other authors and from those she attacks, she does not provide scientific information or documentation, instead relying on he said/she said journalistic stylings and simple assertions. I read the book because range management is an interest of mine, and an even deeper interest I have is the (MIS)perceptions of Western and ranching culture which some people cherish. *I would like to also note that Jacobs relies heavily on older works, when she does cite sources (usually of quotes) which also makes her work scientifically suspect.

The real problem Lynn Jacobs demonstrates is a lack of knowledge about Western ecosystems. Grazing is the only agricultural use much of the land she describes can handle; the soil is too thin, and the weather patterns produce too little moisture, to support the sorts of crops she proposes. Not to mention the impacts of altitude!

The problem facing our nation is not the 'degradation' of Western lands ... it's the suburbanization of our nation. Focus on figuring out how to keep people living *in* the concrete jungles rather than destroying precious land previously used by wildlife and farmers and ranchers as they move out into their suburbs, in Illinois, Virginia, or Colorado.

Jacobs misrepresents and demonstrates absolutely no understanding of basic ecosystem functionings, of Western America's history prior to the arrival of the white man, and of range plant growth or weather patterns. Moreover, she obviously has no idea what ranch life is like, or she wouldn't present a caricature of 'welfare' ranchers. The ranchers I know drive beat-up trucks, scrimp and work extra jobs to make ends meet, get up at 4 or 5am and don't go to bed until after the sun goes down. And they do so 365 days/year. Name me one other occupation which demands such hard physical labor for so little compensation. Ranchers ranch because the love the land and they love nature. Ranchers today make 25% less than they made in the 1970's, when adjusted for inflation. They struggle on because the alternative -- living divorced from nature, and watching the land they love converted to condos and strip malls -- is unbearable.

my grnpa hes bn raising "beef creeters" for a long time.. he is a honrble man and his dad was to. thy work hard to make mony and feed us and stuf, so why are you su down on them???????????
he has a bunsh of acrekers and he trets them good so how coum you dont like him????

Although historically ranchers have often abused their privilege of public land grazing, there is currently a joint effort to change that. This book is biased and a direct attack by Jacobs on a minority that has little or no public influence. It is time that we get to the real issue that is the heart of our environmental problems. This would be urban encroachment and big business. I realize it is easy to attack those who can't fight back. However, this solution of attacking the cattle industry is counterproductive to your ultimate goal. It's time to change to focus of radical environmentalism.