Activity Report Explorer

Aldos Silver City • Entered by Marcia Stout on February 6, 2024

Riparian – Grazing Monitoring

January 3, 2024 – January 31, 2024

Key Issue: Livestock Grazing Management
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Gila National Forest
Landscape/area: Gila National Forest (0 acres)

Measurable Outcomes

Outcome 1: Trail/land monitored (1 surveys)
Outcome 2: Hiked (4 miles)

Short Description of Activity

Three of our team members monitored the Bird Conservation Area exclosure on 1/17 and were discouraged to discover fresh sign. Furthermore, although the Forest Service had informed us that cattle from a private landowner had been discovered and were rounded up the day before and in the corral, GOBs discovered one cow that had not been rounded up, but was in the “trap” area. Others were in the corral. All were Black Angus. In a later meeting (1/22) with the Silver City District Ranger, we were told that Black Angus are owned by the FS permittee, not the private landowner, so there is some confusion that needs to be resolved. GOBs also discovered that areas of fence were mashed down and therefore accessible to cattle, and that a gate was not properly secured. Concerns were voiced at the 1/22 meeting, as cattle trespass issues have been ongoing. The meeting is described in a separate activity report. Also in January, two GOBs had grazing monitoring software installed on their phones.

Reflection/Evaluation

The Bird Conservation Area field trip showed a pattern of cattle trespass that we felt had to be addressed in person with the Silver City District Ranger. That meeting (and the GOB hours for it) are addressed in a separate activity report.

Photos/Uploads

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Photo Captions

1. Contemplating how cattle might be getting through that fencing and then into the exclosure at the Gila River Bird Conservation Area.