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Conclusion Big changes are happening all over North America. People from all over are now moving to rural areas. The new settlers bring their own way of thinking and doing things. The western United States will always have farmers and ranchers, even though they are declining. The west was devolved and made what it is today because of farmers and ranchers. These two groups, the farmers and the new settlers many of whom are environmentalists, do not agree on much especially when it comes to managing public lands. Why should North Americans worry about how public lands are managed. Well, imagine going into the grocery store and paying $8.00 a pound for beef. Managing public land is a very controversial issue being debated to this day. In fact congress has just passed some new laws concerning public lands. This report gives background on public lands, examples from both sides of the controversy and explains what has been going on in congress concerning public lands. Now, the argument of public lands gets interesting when grazing is brought into the picture. The farms in the rural west are not humungous farms that cover thousands of millions of acres. A typical farm goes from 40 to 500 acres. So, in the summer, farmers usually do not have enough land to graze cows on and also get the crops ready for the winter ahead. Many farmers turn to public land for help. The BLM issues permits to farmers so that they can have a place to graze their cows in the summer. Grazing is not just something that helps out farmers, it helps out the environment. Just like mowing your yard or pruning a fruit tree, grazing is an effective tool for improving vegetation (http://www.hotchkiss.k12.co.us/hhs/English/webfolios/CSmith/land.htm#online).
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