8-18 FB Wildfires

 Idaho Ranching Families Devastated by Wildfires. A profusion of recent wildfires caused a multitude of destruction across the state, threatening land, structures and animals alike. In total, over 40,000 acres across Idaho were up in flame, and with hotter temperatures to come this summer, such a massive threat has just begun.  Idaho’s cattle producers are the first to feel the implications of this menace, as the land they use to graze their animals is the most widely affected by such fires. Here is Idaho Cattlemens Assocition Communications director Jessie Thompson:  “Most of these fires are caused by dry lightning and the cattle producers in our state are the 1^st to feel the implications. They are the ones who use these public lands as a way of raising their livestock.”

 “This is one of many reasons why allowing grazing on public lands is so important,” said Wyatt Prescott, Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association. “Grazing plays an essential role in maintaining the overall health of the environment, by limiting the amount of grass available to fuel fires. This is also able to help agencies, such as the BLM, get a better handle on fires before they become too large to combat.”

Cattle, however, are not the only animals that become displaced by wildfires.  Such destruction has an ominous effect on the environment as a whole; where the aftermath of a fire is more than the simply the charred earth left in its wake. Habitats for wildlife, such as deer, antelope and sage grouse are also completely destroyed, leaving these animals vulnerable to predators.