I take issue with Trevor Herriot’s view that cattle kill grassland birds (Naturalist Says Grass-fed the Way, The Daily News, June 11). Much of B.C.’s grasslands are within working ranches; the rest can be found under subdivisions and pavement.

Want proof? Just look at Batchelor Heights, Aberdeen Hills, Albert McGowan, and much of Westsyde. Without ranches to maintain the large tracts of land, all the grassland birds would be gone.

And as for the burrowing owls that he mentions, the B.C. Wildlife Park has a very successful reintroduction program that would not be possible without ranches to create artificial burrows for owl reintroductions.

Ranches make suitable habitat for burrowing owls because they are well managed. Other grassland birds, such as the curlew, thrive in grazed areas among cattle. A fact that I’m certain Mr. Herriot is aware of but failed to mention.

For those who point the finger at ranchers, consider where your house is built and what impact it has had on the environment. Urban and rural sprawl is one of the leading threats to agricultural lands and B.C.'s amazing grassland ecosystems.
 
ELAINE STOVIN, P.Ag.  

Pritchard