Raising The Steaks

Fighting Fire with Fire

By: Michelle

Each time summer comes around, it seems to catch me off-guard. I think to myself that maybe, just maybe I will be able to take it easy and relax during this 3 month siesta from school. But as always I find myself up to my eyeballs with work, sports, and catching up with old friends. While I find my schedule to be crazy enough, it’s nothing compared to that of a firefighter in the height of fire season.

This summer has been especially grueling on the firefighters here in California, and it’s just the beginning. Normally fire season really heats up around the end of July and continues through October. But with one lightning storm sending over 5,000 strikes down to the already drought-stricken foothills that I call home, close to 500 fires sprang to life overnight. These fires have brought in forces in from all over the country and even some from Canada and the National Guard. These guys are using every ounce of energy they have to protect our homes and keep our families safe.

But why is it so bad compared to other fire seasons? Why is it that this year has been the worst fire season in California’s history and it’s only mid-July? There are a number of factors, one of course being the lack of much-needed rain leaving even the greenest of pastures a duller shade of brown. But most of these fires are in mountain forests where tall trees tower over low-lying vegetation that has been dead and dry for years. And with few animals to feed on it, all of this dead grass and dry leaves are just waiting for one little spark to set it ablaze.

So what can be done about this? Obviously the natural wildlife that already lives in these areas are not clearing out this dry forage. Approximately 85% of the U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for growing crops, and some of this land includes forested areas. Cattle are natural firefighters by doing what they do best: grazing! And as far as the natural wildlife goes, cattle are a huge help in a number of ways. In a California based study by the Conservation Biology magazine (Summer 2005), the results showed that grazing cattle actually helped to maintain natural wetland habitats that are home to several endangered species. Outside of the Golden State, cattle ranching has been shown to play a crucial role in the survival of native species in the Central and Eastern United States.

There’s a difference between preservation and conservation, and many people think this means the same thing. Preservation means to leave the land untouched and let it sort itself out. While this may sound wonderful and “good-natured”, letting forested land go unmanaged is what leads to many of the wildland fires that fills our skies with smoke and keeps our boys away from home. Conservation is different. This means the land is maintained using minimal interference in what’s naturally occuring in order to keep the land healthy and maintain the precious balance needed for everything to survive. Many cattle ranchers are also great conservationalists by doing their part to raise their cattle and take care of mother nature too. Taking care of the land they use is a top priority and many ranchers like to make it better than before.

So while I tip my hat and give thanks to the thousands of firefighters here doing their best to protect our homes and lives, I also thank the cattle ranchers for doing their part to make their land the best it can be. I hope conservation efforts continue in the future and perhaps one of these summers, we’ll all get to relax with clear blue skies and our loved ones with us.