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Arizona
The Care of the Commons
The ecological condition of the Y Bar D Ranch in the Prescott National
Forest, when acquired in 1991 by George and Sharon Yard, could most politely be
described as “challenged.”
Lacking even a house, the retiring medical-doctor-and-nurse-team couple
initially camped on the edge of the Upper Verde River that runs through the
ranch.
The
Yards were determined they could not only turn the land around, but would
achieve this through a unique environmental change agent: the cow. Historically,
the ranch had held as many as 10,000 cattle; the Forest Service placed the
proper limit at 225 head. Unfortunately, the would-be pastures were covered with
invasive knapweed; tamarisk was overpowering native riparian vegetation;
streambeds had been trampled; and the irrigation system was in disrepair. Not
everyone would have seen a cattle ranch as the solution.
But today the Y Bar D not only supports 225 cattle (temporarily reduced in
number due to drought). It also supports healthy herds of deer and antelope,
which enjoy the only water in a 10-mile radius, courtesy of the Yard Ranch. The
Yards removed livestock from riparian pastures, rested pastures using rotational
grazing, cross fenced the ranch, removed the tamarisk, planted willows, and
added new wells and pipelines for both livestock and wildlife.
In this case, the care of the public land is coming from a couple and their
cattle.
NRCS
Quote: “In their EQIP contract...the Yards listed their goals…to reduce the
potential of Russian knapweed spreading …to improve the rangeland of these
pastures…to improve wildlife habitat of the area…to improve the watershed by
reducing erosion off of their pastures…”--Tim Garcia, District Conservationist
Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Fencing; 2) water facilities (lines and
troughs); 3) prescribed grazing (rotational); 4) third-party monitoring; 5) pest
management (weeds); 6) buffers (riparian plantings)
NRCS Program Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance,
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
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