Adaptation Versus Way of Life?

Over at NewWest.net, the savvy next generation media company "dedicated to the culture, economy, politics, environment and lifestyle of the Rocky Mountain West," there's a good article today on smarter water use for farmers (here).    Brendon Bosworth writes about a new report from the Stockholm Environment Institute that highlights some of the issues I have been writing and blogging about.   

At Torrey House Press we are trying to get the message out through literature that much of the land in the West is worth more in its natural state than it is logged, mined, grazed, and farmed. Bosworth mentions municipalities in Utah paying up to $5,200 per acre foot for water. I think in LA it can be twice that much. What do hay farmers on the Colorado Plateau pay for their water? It's around $3 to $6 per acre foot. How would they get this water to LA where it's worth $10,000? Turn off their sprinklers. These poor guys could make so much more ranching water, and save the West a bundle.

The report's authors, two economists, point out that over 80% of water in the Southwestern states is used by agriculture, the same agriculture that makes up less than 1% of the states' economies.  Without even worrying about hay, where 94% of Utah ag water goes, the economists point out that by eliminating some other low value-per-water-use crops, 24% of the water farmers now use could be saved, while costing the farmers only 5% of their sales.  If the law allowed the farmers to sell the saved water to municipalities instead of losing their water rights, their revenues, and taxes generated back to the state, would go way up.

For another time it is worth exploring why the authors were so reluctant to suggest not growing hay, the worst water offender and lowest cash value crop.  They say it is important for cows.  But if hay were actually valuable it would fetch more.  The problem is that most cows in the arid West aren't economically viable either.  The reason ranchers won't adapt is all Old West "way of life" and cowboy myth stuff.  Much of the land and water in the New West is worth more today to Western citizens and tax payers in its natural state.

Stop Them Before They Legislate Again!

It's an eyebrow raiser to see how often the social network community comments how grateful they are that the Utah legislative session is almost over.   A state gun, firearms on campus, Tea Party members stumping for CUP water pork, the governor jawboning against wilderness, Mike Noel writing HB477, which changes Utah’s records law to keep most business conducted by legislators secret and which passed a House committee by unanimous vote.  Mike Noel, ardent cowboy of the anti-Fed Sagebrush Rebellion, wrote the state resolution for CUP Federal pork.  Funny how often Noel's name comes up when discussing outrageous lawmaker abuse of the public trust.  Best to try and keep a sense of perspective and humor.   This too will pass.   Sen. Gene Davis (D-Salt Lake) asked whether the bees on the state flag should be equipped with the M1911.  New West suggested a new state logo for Utah at left above.