We should totally eliminate livestock grazing on our public lands. George Wuerthner is a freelance photographer and writer. An ecologist by training, he is currently at work on a book about the impacts of livestock production. Grazing should also be banned on public lands where monitoring is not being done, because monitoring is essential to good management decisions. But there is no scientific basis for banning grazing where it is not environmentally harmful.
Grassroots activists try to improve grazing management where problems are occurring.
We support good range managers wherever we find them. We work on restoration of watersheds and wildlife habitat. And we form alliances with progressive ranchers. On the Bear Creek allotment in Wyoming, Sierra Club activist Meredith Taylor helped convince Shoshone National Forest officials to reduce livestock numbers, eliminate trespass cattle, and restrict grazing in streamside corridors. Nevada and eastern California activists helped convince Toiyabe National Forest to limit grazing to promote healthy forest ecosystems.