Ranchers’ Story Avoids Real Issue of Land Use

It is ironic to see an article (“True Grit,” Dec. 29) about romanticizing cattle ranchers in western Mojave when, in fact, the way of life is built on the backs of the American taxpayers by using land that should be available to the public rather than the few ranchers. It is interesting that Two Hole Springs ranch consists of 53,000 acres. The actual land ownership described in the article is only five acres, with the balance consisting of federal land tied up in cattle leases.

It is further ironic that the cattle rancher, struggling in an increasingly regulatory environment, would take a potshot at the duck hunter, another anachronism doomed to extinction. Where does the author want to take the reader? What good is avoiding the more controversial issue of federal land leases versus public access?

--JOSEPH FASS

Rancho Palos Verdes