Barker: Ranchers gaining in popularity with public, poll says | Environment | Idaho Statesman
The myth of the rugged cowboy individualist standing alone against adversity is a foundation of the American story that lives on worldwide today.
It captured the nation’s quest for space, freedom and adventure. From cattlemen like Charles Goodnight to presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, the allure of the open range underscored the shared values of hard work, risk-taking and fairness.
But ranchers have long had critics. In 1947, historian Bernard DeVoto decried the western ranching industry of the 19th and 20th centuries. He called early ranchers “arrogant and always deluded.”
“They always acted as if they owned the public range and act so now,” DeVoto wrote.
His criticism of the industry and overgrazing was embraced by environmentalists in the 1970s and 1980s. Cattle ranching opponents pointed to massive erosion and drops in streamside water tables caused by drought combined with droves of cows at just the wrong time. [...]
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