{"id":590,"date":"2020-12-01T08:37:49","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T08:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=129808"},"modified":"2020-12-01T08:37:49","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T08:37:49","slug":"federal-grazing-fees-the-hidden-subsidy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/01\/federal-grazing-fees-the-hidden-subsidy\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Grazing Fees: the Hidden Subsidy"},"content":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m writing in response to Greta Anderson\u2019s recent post titled \u201cWhat does coexistence with large carnivores actually mean?\u201d Greta highlights the fallacy that \u201ccoexistence\u201d between public lands ranchers and wolves is fair to both wolves and ranchers. Whereas, in actual practice the long-term \u201cexistence\u201d of ranchers is favored over the existence of wolves, and is supported by a variety of sources of monetary compensation. One source she mentions but elects to not elaborate on is the \u201cartificially low grazing fee.\u201d Few people realize the magnitude this subsidy.<\/p>\n
Public lands ranchers pay an \u201calmost free\u201d grazing rate of $1.35 per month for a cow and her calf<\/a> (animal unit). I have heard the analogy made that \u201cyou can\u2019t feed a hamster for that,\u201d but I don\u2019t own a hamster and haven\u2019t actually verified the truth of that statement. I do know that it costs more than that to feed my chickens.<\/p>\n