My family has been actively involved in the livestock business in the Western states since the early 1850s. We have always believed that to be successful ranchers we need to be good stewards of the land.

That's why I support a bill being proposed by Trout Unlimited, which would allow that group to lease water to protect stream flows for fish — something that current law does not allow because only the state can hold an in-stream flow right of any kind. As I understand it, they want the freedom to work with farmers and ranchers directly to come up with deals that would allow them to put water back in the stream for fish while at the same time benefiting the farmer or rancher either through lease payments or by funding improvements on their land.

The way it has been proposed is to help the agricultural producers to make improvements to their irrigation systems, thus making the systems more efficient and allowing a portion of the water to be put back in the stream to help the fish. They will not be able to buy the water right but rather lease it for a predetermined period.

As a rancher myself, I do not see any downside to that. To the contrary, I see several benefits.

First, the program is voluntary. So, a farmer or rancher can participate if it makes sense for them and their operations, but they don't have to participate if they don't want to. In addition, the program, which benefits native cutthroat trout, makes it less likely that those fish could get listed under the Endangered Species Act, which would mean the federal government could come in and start telling us how to manage our water.

Second, because the program allows temporary transfers of water rather than outright purchases, it does not put sportsmen's groups in competition with farmers and ranchers over water. To the contrary, it encourages solutions that make it easier for farmers and ranchers to stay on the land and to keep their lands in production.

Third, I believe in voluntary, free-market solutions rather than state-controlled ones. Quite frankly, if someone is going to pay for an irrigation efficiency or some other improvement to my land, I'd rather have a private group like Trout Unlimited pay for it rather than the taxpayers.

I have always believed in managing my resources — land, water, livestock — to provide for my family and to do so in a way that preserves rural landscapes and rural economies as well as healthy watersheds and wildlife. That is important for me and for my children, who will have to deal with the consequences if we don't get these things figured out.

---

Rick J. Ellis lives in Howell Valley. He wrote the above piece at the suggestion of Trout Unlimited.