#verde river

[ravensarca]

Down by the Lake

Bajo el lago

[nocternalrandomness]

Wild Horses on the Lower Verde River in Arizona

[rjzimmerman]

Feds agree to keep cattle out of northern Arizona rivers

PHOENIX (AP) — Federal land-management agencies have agreed to do more to keep cattle from grazing in sensitive habitat for threatened and endangered species in the Verde River watershed, settling a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

Excerpt from this story from the Associated Press (AP):

Federal land-management agencies have agreed to do more to keep cattle from grazing in sensitive habitat for threatened and endangered species in the Verde River watershed, settling a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service agreed to regularly inspect riparian areas near grazing land and promptly take steps to return any cattle to their owner and fix broken fencing. The settlement was approved on Wednesday by a federal judge in Phoenix.

“Their cows get fat by destroying our rivers. These ranchers make money by disobeying or by not following the rules and the law,” said Robin Silver, cofounder of the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the lawsuit along with the Maricopa Audubon Society. “Now this requires the ranchers actually to comply. And it requires the Forest Service to actually do their jobs.”

The settlement is the third this year involving cattle grazing in Arizona where federal officials agreed to enforce longstanding protections for endangered species and their habitat. Cattle have for years been banned from streambeds and other sensitive areas but little has been done to enforce that law.

Environmental groups have for decades been at odds with the federal government over what they consider lax enforcement of grazing boundaries. They say cattle grazing near rivers and streams trample wetlands and destroy habitat that allow rare plants and animals to thrive. Those include southwestern willow flycatchers, yellow-billed cuckoos, Gila chub, loach minnow and spikedace fish, Chiricahua leopard frogs, and narrow-headed and northern Mexican garter snakes.

The Verde River agreement affects 140 miles (225 kilometers) of streams and 22 ranching allotments in Northern Arizona. Two similar settlements this year affect the White Mountains in Eastern Arizona and the Gila River watershed spanning the Arizona-New Mexico state line.

[swann-music]

Verde River, Guadalajara, Mexico

[kohdiphoto]

Best of 2020 Part 5 of 5

Summer Grandeur - 09/22/20

Imprint - 11/09/20

Outlast - 12/10/20

Fire Above - 10/31/20

Burnt Copper - 11/28/20

Autumn Flowing - 10/13/20

Waking Dream - 12/10/20

Towering Hills - 10/18/20

Needle to Needle - 12/31/20

Cold Moon - 12/29/20

Thanks to everyone who has followed this little series, it was nice to review so many pleasant memories in an unpleasant year. And thank you to everyone who stuck with me through that year, we got to the other side together and there will be better days to come. Remember to spend all the time you can on those things that truly matter to you, and as always, keep an eye out for new things coming soon!

K O H D I P H O T O . C O M

[guillamscovu]

Verde River, Guadalajara, Mexico

[stupidexcited]

Verde River, Guadalajara, Mexico

[kellymoody]

Verde River, Guadalajara, Mexico