This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When the standoff over public land use in Malhuer, Ore., erupted into the national news, I began scanning the coverage and commentary with a bit of dread. Would this incident fan the ideological flames that for decades have challenged the ability of rational people in the West to find collaborative solutions to complex land management issues?
The truth is that most of us living in the rural West, including ranchers, understand and support that federal lands serve multiple purposes, providing everything from wildlife habitat and livestock forage to water and energy resources to recreational opportunities. We also understand that healthy lands, economic prosperity and the well-being of human communities go hand in hand.
If you want to see the good stuff happening in the West, look up one or more of the many rancher-led collaborative efforts such as the Malpai Borderlands Group, the Blackfoot Challenge, the Chama Peak Land Alliance, the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, the Diablo Trust and the California Rangelands Conservation Coalition. Look up the Sand County Foundation's Leopold Conservation Award winners, the Sage Grouse Initiative and the Western Landowners Alliance.
Many of these ranchers, working cooperatively with federal partners, state agencies and environmental organizations, are restoring ecosystems while growing food and sustaining rural livelihoods through innovative uses of fire, grazing and other tools. It's never perfect and it's never easy, but voluntary, collaborative conservation informed by science and experience has demonstrated extraordinary results and offers a path toward a more productive future.
Unfortunately, much of this good work remains invisible to the public while controversies like the Malheur standoff grab the media spotlight.
The heartening thing about the media coverage and commentary on the Malheur standoff is that much of it has been thoughtful and insightful, refusing to fall into the old and outdated theme of ranchers vs. environmentalists. Nevertheless, a number of the usual suspects are using the incident to incite the outrage and indignation that keeps them in business.
The sad truth is that it is easier to raise money and motivate people to action by generating fear and anger than by solving problems collaboratively. However, this polarizing rhetoric also creates deep mistrust and misunderstanding, dividing our communities at a time when we most need to be working together. The tug-of-war between these entities plays out all over the landscape in the form of flawed public policies and litigation-induced paralysis in our land management agencies. It is a primary reason we struggle so hard in managing our public lands. It's no wonder many people are frustrated, and the seizure of a wildlife refuge by armed militants plays right into the continuing cycle.
Those of us who want to see greater bipartisanship, cooperation and progress need to assess on a consistent basis whether we are supporting organizations and politicians working toward common ground or away from it. While meaningful debate is necessary and healthy, misinformation and prejudice are not. Blanket statements about ranchers or environmentalists should serve as red flags to us all. We've seen where polarization and radicalization lead and it is not a path we can accept. The pioneering collaboration that has emerged around the West over the past two decades has demonstrated a far better alternative.
Lesli Allison is executive director of the Western Landowners Alliance, an organization of western landowners and managers working to advance policies and practices that sustain working lands, connected landscapes and native species.