Whats the biggest issue facing the Sheyenne National Grassland in the near future?
Stotts: Without a doubt, the biggest issue is ecosystem health, what we often call rangeland health in this part of the country. Right now, we have a very unhealthy ecosystem. We’ve got far too many exotic plants, like leafy spurge, invading the Sheyenne. We’ve got too many woody shrubs and trees, which have increased in acreage due to fire suppression. And we really haven’t adjusted cattle grazing for a long time. Adjusting cattle grazing doesn’t necessarily mean adjusting the numbers of cattle on the grassland. What it does mean is changing how cattle are grazed, the timing and duration of grazing. Right now, we aren’t grazing at a sustainable level. We have to balance ecosystem health with livestock grazing, We’ve got to take that on. But we’re a small district with a tiny budget.
