DEVELOPMENT AND FEDERAL GRAZING POLICY IMPACTS ON TWO COLORADO COUNTIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Ranchers have concern over how federal policies such as the Endangers Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and other laws and regulations will affect the status of their ranching operations. The objectives of this study were to compare impacts of public forage losses on ranches in areas experiencing rapid growth (Routt County) and minimal growth (Moffat County) in Colorado. Thirty-five personal interviews obtained detailed cost-and-return information on public, leased, and private land. Enterprise budgets for seven distinct ranch averages were entered into a linear programming (LP) model to calculate impacts on ranches of public forage reductions of 25%, 50%, and 100%. Changes in net ranch returns and livestock production reflect the economic impact of policy changes. Grazing alternatives to hypothetical reductions in public grazing chosen by the ranchers were applied in the program to mimic rancher decisions. The study found, as would be expected, that larger ranches with more public forage dependency would be the most affected by public forage losses. Those with fewer sources of alternative forage, and ranches with low costs and high returns, experienced more difficulty in coping with the grazing reductions on public land. Routt County, with its higher dependence on public forage and minimal alternative forage sources, would be more affected by federal forage reduction than Moffat County.