Dear public land recreationists and land users:
There are many people both locally and from other cities or states that enjoy using the Humboldt-Toiyabe (HT) National Forest, Santa Rosa Ranger District (SRRD) public lands for a variety of recreational purposes such as photography, horseback riding, ATV and UTV riding, hiking, biking and a variety of other activities. These lands besides providing vast recreational opportunities are also livestock grazing allotments.
Federal grazing permits on each grazing allotment allow livestock turn out on certain areas at certain times of year.
The livestock are kept on certain areas by various riding and herding techniques, water and forage availability and use, and the use of fences. Most livestock enter onto the Forest sometime between April and June and leave the Forest sometime from September to October.
Many of the fences (but not all) of the fences that exist on public lands are used to keep livestock where they belong.
The fences help keep different operators livestock separate from each other, off of private property, and they keep livestock off of areas that are sensitive, or out of sensitive areas during specific times of year. When gates are left open or fences are cut the livestock tend to wander to places where they are not supposed to be…areas where they are not permitted, onto private property or into campgrounds, or where they may affect sensitive resources. Livestock in campgrounds and on private property can be a nuisance.
Livestock in an area during the wrong season can cause damage to sensitive resources on the Forest. If fences are cut livestock and wildlife can be caught up in or injured by the loose or free wires.
Most of the main roads on the Santa Rosa Ranger District have cattleguards which negate the need for opening gates, a number of the secondary main roads have ATV/UTV cattle guards (which are smaller and only passable by ATV/UTV) which serve the same purpose.
You should always search for a cattleguard or a gate to go through to cross a fence, and never cut a fence.
A good rule of thumb (and an important courtesy in rural areas) is generally to leave a gate how you found it, so if its open, leave it open, if its closed, it should be closed again after traversing through it.