11/26/08 Cattlemen's leader knows value of good land management

Washington Ag November 26, 2008 Despite some public perceptions to the contrary, new Washington Cattlemen's Association President Dick Coon Jr. of Benge, says cow-calf producers have no need to apologize for how they manage natural resources. Good resource management just makes good economic sense. Take Coon's own 20 some year experience with managed grazing in a low rainfall area of the state. Coon: "You know you go out on that rangeland we have been managing with sort of a planned grazing type scenario, you go out and look at it and it's dramatically changed. We run almost half again as many animals on the same amount of acreage and have better diversity in the rangeland. We have a better water cycle. Certainly the wildlife is enhanced." That doesn't mean there still aren't challenges. Coon says some annual weeds are harder to control with more intensive, shorter duration grazing. Coon: "I think fire is a tool that maybe we need to learn to use a little bit more in land management." Coon says they just keep trying to manage better and the carrying capacity on his ranch is proof managed grazing is worth pursuing. I'm Bob Hoff.