Jun. 8, 2011 12:00 AM
Lying in bed the other night, I thought of better times when we could count on our federal government to protect our border and allow us to manage landscape fuels and forage with our livestock. Then, I was jarred awake and realized it was only a dream. The days of security haven’t been seen in my family’s part of southeastern Arizona for nearly two decades. Thieves and international criminals have been allowed to roam; and now, another thief is knocking at our door – an unnecessary wildfire known as the Horseshoe Two.

Those of us who live on these lands are feeling scared and ignored. The government’s failures are stacking up and smothering us in smoke and fire. The litany of failures and mistakes is beginning to look like the Keystone Kops, only this is my real life. It is the beautiful Chiricahuas, the beautiful ranches and real people. Our family, like many other ranching families, has had the privilege to have lived here for generations as good stewards of the land. It seems all our work to protect it has been ignored. Many tears have been shed as we returned to see burned pastures. While we feel under siege, we are working on solutions and to unshackle the heavy load of lawlessness and mismanagement. It is time to demand the federal government listen to its local communities and open their eyes to local customs, cultures and historical knowledge of these lands in southeastern Arizona

Sue Krentz, Douglas, AZ

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