FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017
VOLUME 90, NUMBER 13
WWW.CAPITALPRESS.COM
$2.00
Courtesy of Bob Wick/BLM
A view of Mount Shasta from the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monu-
ment near Ashland, Ore.
Cascade-Siskiyou National
Monument expansion
Area in
detail
Original monument boundary
Newly expanded boundary
Cascade
Medford
238
JA C K S O N
99
140
K LA M ATH
Aspen
Lake
5
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
E
agle Point, Ore. — To rancher Lee Bradshaw, the
presidential order nearly doubling the size of the
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was both
shocking and predictable.
Ever since the original 53,000 acres of public
land were designated as a monument in 2000, there had been
whispers about enlarging it.
Even so, the announcement during the fi nal days of
President Barack Obama’s administration in early 2017 ap-
peared rushed to Bradshaw, particularly since a handful of
meetings held about the expansion were more about creating
hype than seeking public input, he said.
“I knew it was coming our way, but it was unexpected
about the way they did it,” Bradshaw said.
With the federal government adding 47,000 acres to the
monument, the ranching and timber industries in Southern
Oregon are bracing for the worst.
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Rancher Lee Bradshaw visits with a horse at his property near
Eagle Point, Ore. A cattle grazing allotment that Bradshaw
relies upon is included in the recent expansion of the
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Critics of the monument say they’ve seen the eco-
nomic damage caused by the original designation, lead-
ing them to expect similar restrictions on grazing and
Range
66
10 miles
Ore.
Calif.
y
Siski
ou
Mt
r
CASCADE-
SISKIYOU
NAT’L MON.
ive
N
R
ns.
th
The near doubling of the Cascade-Siskiyou
National Monument threatens ranchers,
timber operations and counties
Ashland
Kl a m a
5
Ore.
Calif.
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
logging within the expanded boundary.
“Through no fault of their own, their operations are in
jeopardy,” said John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cat-
tlemen’s Association.
Meanwhile, supporters have cheered the expansion of
the monument, which they believe was shortchanged in the
initial designation.
“We knew the footprint wasn’t as large as the scien-
tists had hoped for,” said Terry Dickey, board chairman of
the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument,
which promotes and advocates for the monument.
Battle looms
This time, though, the timber industry and county govern-
ments are spearheading a legal battle against the monument
expansion, arguing the federal government lacks the authority
to restrict logging on much of the newly included property.
Turn to BATTLE, Page 12
Some Washington ranchers
Trump adviser: No more
EPA-funded attacks on farmers fear USFS taking their grazing
Farm group applauds remark
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
President Trump’s top ag-
ricultural adviser says the new
administration won’t tolerate
federal support for advocacy
campaigns like What’s Up-
stream.
Ray Starling, special as-
sistant to the president for
agriculture, trade and food
assistance, outlined the White
House’s farm policy priorities
in a speech March 21 at the
National Press Club in Wash-
ington, D.C.
“This administration will
not allow the EPA to give
taxpayer dollars to activist
groups who then turn around
and put up billboards that at-
tack our farmers and ranch-
ers,” said Starling, a former
general counsel for the North
Carolina Department of Agri-
culture.
The promise cheered Ger-
By DAN WHEAT
Capital Press
Courtesy of ZimmComm New Media
President Trump’s special
assistant on agriculture Ray
Starling speaks March 21 at the
National Press Club in Wash-
ington, D.C. Starling said the
new administration won’t allow
the EPA to fund more billboard
attacks on farmers, a reference
to the What’s Upstream cam-
paign in Washington state.
ald Baron, director of Save
Family Farming, which was
formed last year to respond
Turn to EPA, Page 12
OKANOGAN,
Wash.
— The U.S. Forest Service
denies that it’s trying to re-
strict or take away ranchers’
grazing rights in Okanogan
County, but U.S. Rep. Dan
Newhouse, R-Wash., isn’t
buying it.
And Okanogan County
Commissioner Jim DeTro
believes the Forest Service’s
aggressive stance may even
be part of a larger effort by
the agency to restrict grazing
before Sonny Perdue is con-
fi rmed as U.S. agriculture
secretary since he is presum-
ably pro-grazing.
Starting in January, the
USFS issued non-compli-
ance letters to 23 of 39 graz-
Dan Wheat/Capital Press
Calves on winter feeding grounds on a ranch in Okanogan
County, Wash., last March. Ranchers are concerned the U.S.
Forest Service is trying to curtail their summer grazing this year.
ing allotment holders in the
Tonasket Ranger District
in Okanogan County — far
more than the usual number
of letters.
Ranchers in a Feb. 22
letter to the USFS protested
that they have not received
any justifi cation for the let-
ters that allege over grazing,
grazing in unauthorized ar-
eas and streambank damage.
Newhouse wrote a letter
to USFS Region 6 Forester
Turn to GRAZING,
Page 12
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