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Russ In Idaho

Posted 10/14/2025 02:32 (#11399568)
Subject: John s asked about windmills in this country

Here is one of the last standing windmills, it was used until we got power and pumped water out of a pond 2 1/2 miles away. That allowed water to be pumped to 7 different feilds vs. just being used at well site. Trailed our Forest Service cows home to ranch took a total of 40 minutes. Was cold, at 32 degrees.when we started. Went to neighbors corral and sorted outside off and trucked ours to alfalfa pastures to graze. Those cows were ready to go home. Only one son saddled up to sort cows, rest of us took bikes to bring them home.

Forest Service has left a few of the old windmills standing to show people what it was like in this area. Plus got to leave them for crows to nest so they can kill Sage Grouse. So then in turn be sued in court for the demise of upland game birds "big smiley face" same with Russian Olive tree rows. When this land was given back to government they planted Bulbless Blue grass to help stabilize the soil and Russian Olive trees. What a big blunder that was on the blue grass for this climate. In high elevation and precipitation its OK, not in this desert country. However it provided jobs through the CCC work program. Was a camp set up just north of our place. Those guys did some real back breaking work that still stands today.

We have a land management plan for 30 years, that says to take 1,200 acres a year of bulbless and Sage brush out, but nope. Can't do it for fear of litigation. If we would have been smart, we should have sued FS from the start. But you don't sue a partner your trying to work with.

Just like cattle markets, when government gets their hands in something, they have a tendency to go to one extreme to the other to justify their jobs. Some good people, but their hands are tied because of government bureaucracy.

Edited by Russ In Idaho 10/14/2025 02:38