It never ceases to amaze me how insidiously liberals work their way into every facet of life. They can even try and convert Mother Nature into their own voter plantation if left to their own devices. Of course they will fail but they don't know that. I find this author's piece a bit more open minded though she is clearly one of those townies that move in to a self sustaining eco-society and immediately pitches monkey wrenches into it because life in town, even the eco system, just isn't going to live up to her expectations.
Though dry, brittle cheat grass is a problem for pets, it’s dangerous in southern Idaho during the summer. Then cheat grass becomes the highly flammable fuel that can contribute to the start and spread of wildfires. It’s hard to conceive the villainous nature of cheat grass when it first comes up in the spring, soft green tufts covering our landscape, making the hills and canyons look like the moors of Scotland. In June acres of cheat grass change color and become Idaho’s version of “waves of purple grain” from that much-loved melody
I talked to an Idaho rancher about how awful cheat grass was — is — and he looked at me like I was from another planet, like maybe I’d just stepped off the plane from New York City in spaghetti-strapped heels.
“That’s ridiculous,” he announced unapologetically. “Cheat grass makes cattle fat and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s great forage.”
He then went on to detail how his little sister used to call it “cheap grass” instead of cheat grass because indeed, it was veritably free food for cattle grazing on a desert that didn’t grow much else.
I mentioned how invasive it was and how cheat grass stole water and nutrients from other native plants, how overgrazing had set the stage for this opportunistic weed.
“So? Survival of the fittest, right?” he said, arching his eyebrows. “Besides, I’m not so sure over-grazing promoted cheat as much as years of persistent drought.”
Then he proceeded to tell me that cheat grass stabilized the soil and offered watershed protection. Otherwise dirt would erode and fly with the wind. Had I ever been on the desert in a windstorm?
“But what about fires? Cheat grass spreads fire!” I was becoming agitated.
“Not a problem if you graze the grass off when you should instead of letting it grow unrestricted. Talk to the BLM about that.”
He actually walked away from me saying, “Thank God for cheat grass.” Oddly, it felt like our disagreement was almost political, and we were as far away from each other as, say, a Republican is from a Democrat.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/r ... 63869.html
