Most of the riding "trails" around our place are
old logging roads, haul roads, fire roads or abandoned logging railroad
grades. I have nothing but gratitude for their presence.
Barbara is correct, there are fees. and upkeep the ranchers must
do. Forest Service and BLM grazing rights are often tied to a particular
ranch. The regs may have changed but FS permits stayed with the ranch
unless the FS pulled the permits, can only be sold to another rancher that
already has a permit in that district. Usually if a rancher buys a
ranch he gets the permits, but often the FS has the right to cut the numbers
allowed. I think BLM permits are more flexable. There
is an annual per head grazing fee charged each year. The fee is (or used
to be) based on the market value of livestock. Fees
change with prices. FS and BLM control how many cattle or sheep can go
on and what dates they can start and when they must leave each
allotment. Rancher must maintain the water sources, and all the
fences. They do not get free pasture.
I know when you were living in Council, Tammy, and there isn't
much BLM but a lot of FS in Adams county. Don't think it has changed
much since.
There has been no free grazing since the Taylor Grazing act in
the early 30s went in.
Before then is when most of the serious over use of the range took
place.
There are a few horses still in the Crane Creek area east of Midvale.
There was maybe 100 head, as late as early, mid 80s, but not many
now. There are quite a few bands in Owyhee County, and I'm sure in
the further eastern counties of Idaho The corner of
Idaho Oregon and Nevada has a lot of "wild" horses.
To make this endurance related, if it wasn't for the water sources,
roads and trails the ranchers keep open, and the loggers as well, much
of our FS/BLM public land would be unsuitable for endurance
rides. Game trails are not very acceptable to many of our
riders. They were not popular on the rides I put on here.
(;>)
