Cattle will no longer graze in the Escalante River drainage, where several animals were killed and cabins burned in March of 1990.
Two Boulder, Garfield County, stockmen, Arthur and Ivan Lyman, and their families have agreed to relinquish the right to graze 360 cattle in the area from Sept. 1 to March 31, according to John O. Lancaster, superintendent of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.An agreement was reached between the ranchers and the Richard King Mellon Foundation to reimburse the stockmen for giving up their permit rights, but details were not disclosed.
The conservation-oriented foundation, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., was established in 1947. Since 1977, it has provided $196 million in grants and gifts for conservation purposes, primarily in the areas of land acquisition, wetlands protection and wildlife preservation.
Lancaster credited the Conservation Fund, another conservation organization, for helping bring about the agreement. That organization, with headquarters in Arlington, Va., was established in 1985. It helps protect wildlife habitat, open space and historic sites through land purchases.
He said the agreement also wouldn't have been possible without the help of the Bureau of Land Management's Cedar City District Manager Gordon Staker and Escalante Area Manager A.J. Martinez. The Garfield County Commission and the Utah congressional delegation lent support.
Lancaster said negotiations on the return of the grazing rights began in the summer of 1990 after 15 cows and six calves were slain and cabins burned by unknown vandals 10 days before the grazing season ended. The animals were shot at close range and left to die.
The cabins that were burned were built by stockmen before the Glen Canyon Dam was constructed and a large expanse of land adjoining Lake Powell was designated a national recreation area.
Although $24,000 in reward money was posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the cattle killings and cabin burnings, no significant leads developed.
"The resultant benefits of no longer having cattle in the area will eliminate user conflict and enhance recreational opportunities for hikers and other park visitors while protecting our water quality wetlands and streamside habitat," Lancaster said. He said the agreement will also aid interagency research and archaeological protection.