Permit to use Cow Camp by dude ranch outfitter under consideration 

The Double Rafter Cattle Drive outfitter is requesting a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service that would expand the company’s use of U.S. Forest land to offer cattle drive vacations for individuals wanting to simulate a ranch experience. The outfitter, which has offered the drives for a number of years, is asking to extend its territory from Rock Cabin Park to the Little Horn Cow Camp located in the Big Horn Mountains from late June through early October, drawing the ire of at least one cattle ranch family from Big Horn County.“Double Rafter has gotten by just fine without using my cow camp for years, and approval of this application would substantially reduce the value of my permit, as well as close the site to the public for the time they are there,” said Brett Crosby of Cowley. “All of the horses would graze on my allotment. It is unprecedented to give grazing privileges from one person’s allotment (mine) to another permittee (him).”According to Crosby, his family operation paid approximately $150,000 for grazing rights in the area.[caption id="attachment_11908" align="alignright" width="227"] The Double Rafter Cattle Drive outfitter is requesting a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service that would expand the company’s use of forest land from Rock Cabin Park to the Little Horn Cow Camp.[/caption]A letter was sent to “interested parties” by district ranger David Hogen, but to date, a public notice has not been published in newspapers of record.According to the U.S. Forest Service website, each trip conducted by Double Rafter would consist of 20 clients and 12 staff members. The group will graze 30-35 horses in the horse pasture when using the cow camp area for its guided trips. A large mess tent will be set up behind the cabin with adjacent wash stations. Fifteen sleeping tents and one crew tent will be set up in the cabin. No tents (including the crew tent) will be allowed to obstruct the road or the trail.Two latrine holes with tent coverings will be dug at least 200 feet from water and lined with removable liners that will be packed out on a regular basis to an appropriate facility off forest. Potable water will be hauled in using five-gallon containers. The permit would not allow gear to be stored at the cow camp outside the permitted season of use or when not in use during the season. All vehicles and trailers will be parked outside the Littlehorn Meadows no camping area. Two UTVs will be used to transport supplies to the camp and will be parked so they are not obstructing road, trail or creating resource damage. When clients are not in camp, but cattle are grazing in nearby pastures, two riders and six horses would be at the cow camp. A camp layout map will be drawn up to show location of tents, UTVs, etc.An official comment period in currently is progress, with a deadline of Dec. 30, 2016, for comments. Comments can be sent to comments-bighorn@fs.fed.us noting in the subject line “Double Rafter’s Proposed Assigned Site, Attention Cheri Jones.”According to Jones, only one comment has been received and she could not say whether it was positive or negative because she had not read it yet. Oftentimes, a legal notice is published in newspapers of record announcing a comment period of this nature to the general public. Jones said, to her knowledge, notices had not been issued and she said she was unsure if it would be required due to the amount of acreage in question, though it is stated on the Forest Service’s project home page that the comment period would appear in the newspaper of record along with drafts of environment impact statements.Jones also noted that the staff member at the U.S. Forest Service who would normally issue public notices had been out of the office due to illness, which she said also may have been the reason an official notice was not published. She also noted that Double Rafter already has grazing rights and that the proposal is for additional uses. She was unable to specify if the grazing rights were for that particular area.According to the U.S. Forest Service project page, comments, “including anonymous comments,” will be accepted at any time. However, comments posted after the close of the designated comment period (Dec. 30, 2016) may not be given full consideration. Jones said she was not able to provide the Lovell Chronicle with a copy of Double Rafter’s assigned site proposal No. 50707. She said it was her understanding that the proposal was introduced verbally at a meeting between the owners of Double Rafter and the Forest Service. Details about the proposal can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50707. More information about the outfitting services provided by Double Rafter can be found at www.doublerafter.com.For more information or to comment, contact Jones at the Medicine Wheel Ranger District at cajones02@fs.fed.us or call her at 307-674-2652.

By Patti Carpenter