The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously advanced a proposal on Wednesday that was intended to exempt sustainable cattle-grazing from a grading and clearing ordinance, and expand ranching operations on county-owned land.
By a 4-0 vote, they directed the chief administrative officer, along with county staff, to find options as requested by Supervisor Jim Desmond.
CAO Ebony Shelton and the Planning Development Services would have six months to prepare a list of options.
According to information on the Wednesday board agenda, the county will get input from ranchers and industry advocates, environmental groups and local fire protection agencies.
Desmond said that based on ranchers’ feedback, there are growing concerns about regulatory burdens surrounding required grading and clearing permits for cattle grazing.
“At one time, such requirements may have been appropriate, particularly to address the impacts of poorly managed grazing practices on the local ecosystems,” Desmond said.
“However, over the past several decades, ranchers have made significant advances in sustainable land management, and many rotate grazing and maintain limited herd sizes,” which allows for grazing areas to recover, resulting in stronger and more resilient landscapes, he added.
Desmond noted that ranchers play a role in land conservation. “Cattle grazing can offer real land management co-benefits,” as opposed to more intensive land development, he said.
Supporting a vibrant ranching industry reduces reliance on external supply chains for beef, Desmond said.
“We should not only acknowledge the valuable contributions the ranchers make to our communities, but should consider ourselves fortunate to have a strong ranching presence in the county,” he added.
Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said she had no principal objections to Desmond’s proposal, which she described as “interesting.”
“I don’t want us to end up with policies that don’t make sense because we haven’t consulted with a broad enough group of stakeholders,” she said.
Lawson-Remer added that given their efforts on major issues such as faster housing production, she wanted to ensure LUEG staffers would have the necessary time to present options to the Board of Supervisors.
One county official responded that while it will take additional staff hours, staffers can handle the task.
During public comment, most speakers — including San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and agriculture industry representatives — were supportive of changing the grazing policy.
Andy Lyle, a San Diego County Farm Bureau member, said animal grazing can improve soil health and structure.
Lyle said livestock manure adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil, while their hooves help incorporate plant material and seeds into the ground.
Lyle added that rotational grazing allows soil to better receive rainfall, reducing runoff and erosion.
An official with the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County said the state government, in the form of a Senate Bill 675, also supports this type of grazing on public lands.
“Categorizing cattle grazing as degrading would be a mistake and missed opportunity,” added Joel Kramer.
Further, he added that sustainable grazing is connected to the resurgence of certain endangered species, such as the burrowing owls and tricolored blackbird.
Katie Ostrander, a rancher and Warner Springs resident, said it was important to keep grazing land in good shape, for wildlife and cattle alike.
“We recognize that the land’s ecosystem is fragile and interconnected,” said Ostrander, a member of San Diego County Cattlewomen.
Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitats League said his group was “conceptually in favor” of a possible grazing policy change, but added there are “harms as well as benefits to grazing.”
The environmental group doesn’t want ordinance exemptions “be a predetermined, preordained outcome,” Silver said. “There would need to be strict best management practices and site selection criteria for this to be successful.”
Silver, the group’s executive director, suggested the county work with the University of California Agriculture Extension and use a rangeland consultant to assist on policy, rather than burden county land-use employees.
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