Talking about regulators...Rules can be written based on the values of the writers, or their interests, and are intended to change the thinking of the general population in the way we do business. Let us apply this to the grasslands issue.

Wes Tossett invited me to attend the September 13th meeting of the Minot Rotary Club. It was a lunch program with two guest speakers (both loan officers) from Watford City talking about proposals for management of National Grasslands, as prepared by the US Forest Service (USFS) (an agency within USDA).

The first speaker covered the proposed rule changes that impact every rancher in the area. The change would limit production of the rancher. He explained how USFS measures native grass growth and carryover and pointed out the landowner is a caretaker of federal land. He stated the new proposal would result in a great deal more paperwork but wouldn’t guarantee a healthier grassland. As I listened, I thought about another major player in grassland health - Mother Nature.

The second speaker addresses the economic side. He pointed to the additional paperwork and the fact that extra work won’t guarantee a profit for anyone including the government. He stated the reduction of the herds on the local ranches would impact the economic base of the rancher, the local community and even the State of ND. He stated that nearly all of the grasslands were once privately owned and lost during the great depression. They were set aside as National Grasslands to create a stable base. Who is proposing change in the priority list?

The public seems to have developed a pecking order for private property. They want a base for recreation, another for parks, for wetlands, national forests, etc. But LAND will persevere.