Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Ranches

Ranches that are permitted to use grazing allotments administered by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests and have benefited from government assistance. (Additional ranches are added to this list as information becomes available.)

Visit the Arizona Public Land Ranches Home Page for information about ranches in other regions of the state.

Government Assistance For Ranchers Program Key
ALLBAWPFECPEQIPEWPHPCHeritage FundLCCGPLFPLOFFAPLRPPFWPWHREFWQIG
AALB - Arizona Livestock Loss Board, Arizona Livestock Loss Board (federal/state)
AWPF - Arizona Water Protection Fund, AWPF Commission (state)
ECP - Emergency Conservation Program, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (federal)
EQIP - Environmental Quality Incentives Program, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (federal)
The EQIP program absorbed the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) after 2014.
EWP - Emergency Watershed Protection, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (federal)
The Arizona EWP Drought Program was discontinued in 2001 after a critical audit.
HPC - Habitat Partnership Committee, Arizona Game & Fish Commission (state)
Arizona Heritage Fund, Arizona Game & Fish Commission (state)
LCCGP - Livestock & Crop Conservation Program, Arizona Department of Agriculture (state)
Note: Open Space Reserve Grants became LCCGP Grants after 2002.
LFP - Livestock Forage Disaster Program, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (federal)
LOFFAP - Livestock Operator Fire & Flood Assistance Program, Arizona Department of Agriculture (state)
LRP - Landowner Relations Program, Arizona Game & Fish Department (state)
PFWP - Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (federal)
WHREF - Wildlife Habitat Restoration & Enhancement Fund, Arizona Game & Fish Department (state)
This fund was created by a one-time $3.5 million appropriation by the Legislature in 2006.
WQIG - Water Quality Improvement Grant, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (federal/state)
Note: These grants were previously called Section 319 nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution prevention grants.
4 Bar Ranch4 Drag Ranch6K6 RanchAnchor RanchAndrus RanchBar M RanchBingham RanchBrown RanchesChevelon Butte RanchCinco Noches RanchDouble Circle RanchFost Flake RanchGraves RanchHansen RanchHopi RanchesHorseshoe Springs RanchJoseph A. Auza Sheep RanchesLance Knight RanchesMaddock RanchNorman Brown RanchPigeon RanchPorter RanchRogers/Lee RanchSpur RanchTimberline RanchTule Springs RanchTurtle Mtn. RanchWild Bunch RanchWY Bar & LWJ RanchX Diamond Ranch
Four Bar Ranch (Four Bar Ranch LLC) - Mesa Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2002OSR #2*$25,552
2005LCCGP #05-38$50,000Fencing
2007LCCGP #07-27$100,000Livestock Water and Fencing
2007WHREF**$179,265Help Remove Pinyon Pine & Juniper Trees In the Sheep Wash Watershed
2009LCCGP #09-37$50,000Upper Eagle Creek Restoration
2011-2014EQIP$51,982
2013HPC #12-501$7,400Water Project
2020-2021LFP$15,824
$480,023TOTAL 2002 - 2021
* Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
** These funds were shared with three adjacent grazing allotments.
4 Drag/7 Cross A Ranches (Darcy & Gary Ely) - East Eagle & Mud Springs Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2000AWPF #00-102*$66,330Livestock Water & Fences - Including San Carlos Reservation Boundary Fence
2002WQIG #04-022$45,750Livestock Water
2005LCCGP #05-33$125,000Fencing, Grassland Restoration, Livestock Water
2006WQIG #8-007**$360,930Upper Eagle Creek Watershed Restoration Phase 2
2007-2016EQIP$24,793
2007LCCGP #07-25$125,000Erosion Control, Livestock Water, and Fencing
2007WHREF$460,253Help Remove Pinyon Pine & Juniper Trees In the Chitty Creek Watershed
2009LCCGP #09-36$100,000Watershed Improvement for SE Arizona Ranch Sustainability
2011LCCGP #11-15$125,000Watershed Project for SE Arizona Ranch Sustainability
2011AWPF #11-177$136,714San Carlos Reservation Boundary Fence
2011-2021LFP$257,702
2019ECP$25,285
2020ECP$3,384
2022LFP$26,992
2023EQIP$20,722
$1,903,855TOTAL 2002 - 2023
* AWPF #00-102 was received by the ranch's previous owner.
** WQIG #8-007 was shared with three neighboring ranches.

NOTE: In 2021 $65,000 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2021 Bear Fire. The money was shared among four grazing allotments, including the East Eagle & Mud Springs allotments, in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
This ranch was one of the beneficiaries of Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program (APWIAP) grant #21-803 for $462,100 in response to the 2021 Bear Fire.
The ranch’s owners also received at least $11,733 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2019 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
6K6 Ranch (High Country Cattle LLC) - AD Bar/Hogtrail, Copperas & Strayhorse Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005LCCGP #05-21$125,000AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2006WQIG #8-007*$360,930AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2006-2007WHIP$5,887AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2006 - 2011EQIP$43,538AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2007LCCGP #07-11$100,000AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2007WHREF**$179,265AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2009LCCGP #09-20$75,000AD Bar/Hogtrail (Powder River Ranch LLC)
2011-2018LFP$62,786Strayhorse (Stray Horse Ranch, LLC)
2013LCCGP #13-01$40,000Strayhorse (Stray Horse Ranch, LLC)
2014Heritage Fund$5,000Strayhorse (Stray Horse Ranch, LLC)
2015-2021LFP$102,742
$1,100,148TOTAL 2005 - 2021
* WQIG #8-007 was shared with three neighboring ranches.
** These funds were shared with three adjacent grazing allotments.
High Country Cattle LLC manager, Thomas "Ty" Kelly, acquired his first grazing permit in the Clifton Ranger District with the Copperas allotment's permit in 2012, he then obtained the permit for the AD Bar/Hogtrail allotment in 2015, and the permit for the Strayhorse allotment in 2023. The amounts of assistance that benefited the previous permittees are included in the table above.

NOTE: In 2021 $65,000 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2021 Bear Fire. The money was shared among four grazing allotments in the Clifton Ranger District, including the AD Bar/Hogtrail, East Eagle, Mud Springs and Strayhorse allotments.
This ranch was one of the beneficiaries of Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program (APWIAP) grant #21-803 for $462,100 in response to the 2021 Bear Fire.
A previous permittee for the Strayhorse allotment, Brady Peters, received $3,720 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board in 2020 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
Anchor Ranch (Anchor Ranch LLC) - Baseline-Horsesprings Grazing Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1996AWPF #96-0012$80,626Livestock Waters & Fences
2005LCCGP #05-48$113,803Grassland Restoration and Livestock Water
2007LCCGP #07-44$125,000Livestock Water
2007 - 2010EQIP$30,804
2009LCCGP #09-50$22,693Upper Eagle Creek Restoration, Baseline/Horsesprings Allotment
2011WHIP$27,775
2011-2020LFP$46,787
$442,488TOTAL 1996-2020
Andrus Ranch (Andrus Ranch Holdings LLC) - Sponseller & Ortega (FS) and Little Ortega Lake & Concho Ranch (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-000223
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2015-2021LFP$224,825
2017-2020EQIP$146,561

2018HPC #17-110$15,000Little Ortega Lake Water Well Solar Conversions
2020Heritage Fund$9,000Repair Bourdon Well Water System
2022EQIP$14,844
2022LFP$54,158
2023EQIP$67,879
2023LFP$93,753
2024HPC #23-102$96,000Remove Juniper Trees
$722,020TOTAL 2015 - 2024
Bar M Ranch (Bar M Ranch, LLC) - Pierce Wash Allotment, State Leases #05-003600 & #05-001348
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2010HPC #09-110$22,400Remove Juniper Trees
2014Heritage Fund$14,000Public Access For 5 Years
2014-2021LFP$156,194
2023LFP$25,521
$218,115TOTAL 2010 - 2023
Bingham Ranch (Justin & Elizabeth Bingham) - Blackjack Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2004WQIG #4-014*$34,390Riparian Exclosure For Coal Creek
2014-2023LFP$271,292
$305,682TOTAL 2004 - 2023
* This assistance benefited the previous permittee Deryl Bingham.
Brown Ranches (J. Albert Brown Ranches, Inc.) - Greens Peak & Cerro Trigo (FS) and Wildcat Creek (BLM) Allotments, State Leases #05-000160 & #05-042016
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2009-2021EQIP$511,511
2011-2021LFP$718,094
2017AWPF #17-188$303,975Juniper Tree Removal
2023LFP$85,477
$1,619,057TOTAL 2009 - 2023
Brown Ranch has received at least $28,094 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2017 for cattle reportedly killed by Mexican wolves. The Brown Ranch is owned by the descendants of the late influential state legislator Jack A. Brown, who died in 2015.
Chevelon Butte Ranch (O'Haco Cattle Co. LLC) - Clear Creek (FS) & Toltec Divide (BLM) Allotments, State Leases #05-001582, #05-000762
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1995HPC*$103,700Hi-Point Water Well
1996AWPF #96-0002$77,844Hi-Point Water Well
1999EWP$90,205Paid to Take Cattle Off the Land During Drought
2002OSR #43**$5,961
2005LCCGP #05-74$30,390Water Development
2006-2008EQIP$42,728
2007Heritage Fund$14,000Public Access For 1 Year
2008HPC #07-102$50,000Grassland Restoration
2008HPC #07-103$2,750Water Pump Fuel
2008HPC #07-112$34,000Well Pumping Equipment
2009HPC #08-120$5,000Water Pump Fuel
2009WHIP***$183,900
2009-2014PFWP$88,500
2010HPC #09-106$6,000Water Pump Fuel
2010HPC #09-111$10,250Water Wells Maintenance
2011HPC #10-103$6,000Water Pump Fuel
2011-2021LFP$463,591
2012HPC #11-104$7,400Water Pump Fuel
2012HPC #11-105$7,500Dirt Tank Cleaning
2013HPC #12-105$8,300Water Pump Fuel
2014Heritage Fund$50,000Public Access for 5 Years
2014HPC #13-107$7,600Water Pump Fuel
2018Heritage Fund$75,000Public Access for 5 Years
2015HPC #14-106$10,000Water Wells Maintenance
2015HPC #14-107$7,600Water Pump Fuel
2017HPC #16-108$12,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2018HPC #17-105$31,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2019HPC #18-105$34,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2020HPC #19-104$33,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2021HPC #20-109$13,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2022HPC #21-102$13,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
2022LFP$30,342
2023HPC #22-103$55,000Hi-Point Water Well Solar Pump Drive
2023HPC #22-104$5,000Water Wells Fuel & Maintenance
$1,614,561TOTAL 1995 - 2023
* The Arizona Game & Fish Department stated they no longer have any record of this HPC grant, but it was described in the AWPF grant application.
**Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
*** WHIP ended in 2013 and was absorbed by the EQIP program.

Ranch manager Jim O'Haco is a member of the Arizona Livestock Loss Board, which provides ranchers with financial compensation for claimed livestock losses from endangered Mexican wolves, along with wolf depredation prevention grants.
Cinco Noches Ranch (Galyn & Roxanne Knight) - Hayground/Reservation & Colter Creek Allotments, State Leases #05-001662 & #05-085885
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1999EWP$23,453Paid to Take Cattle Off the Land During Drought
2000EWP$8,422Paid to Take Cattle Off the Land During Drought
2002OSR #1$25,552
2005LCCGP #05-55$43,306Livestock Water and Fencing
2011-2021LFP$312,672
2012WQIG #12-002*$494,087Improve Coyote Creek Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2017-2020EQIP$388,697
2018WQIG #20-008**$188,911Sediment Basin (stock tank) Rehabs
2022LFP$35,796
$1,520,896TOTAL 1999 - 2022
Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
* Per this project's final report, this grant was shared with six neighboring ranches.
** The contractor for this project was the Knight’s son Daric Knight.
Double Circle Ranch (K. Scott & Wendy K. Bryce) - Double Circle Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005LCCGP #05-30$125,000Livestock Water and Fencing
2006WQIG #8-007*$360,930 Upper Eagle Creek Watershed Restoration Phase 2
2006AWPF #06-135$84,448Pasture Division Fence
2006 - 2010EQIP$84,114
2007LCCGP #07-48$125,000Livestock Water
2007WHREF**$179,265Help Remove Pinyon Pine & Juniper Trees In the Sheep Wash Watershed
2007WQIG #9-003$95,100San Carlos Reservation Boundary Fence
2008WQIG #10-003$92,294Livestock Fences & Waters
2008HPC #07-111$99,000Cut & Burn Juniper Trees
2009LCCGP #09-54$100,000Upper Eagle Creek Restoration, Double Circle Allotment
2009AWPF #09-163$35,356Erosion Control Structures, Phase 1
2011AWPF #11-176$36,866Erosion Control Structures, Phase 2
2011LCCGP #11-34$100,000Upper Eagle Creek Restoration, Double Circle Allotment, Phase 4
2011LFP$10,307
2014-2021LFP$71,954
2022LFP$2,419
2023LFP$10,856
$1,612,909TOTAL 2004 - 2023
* WQIG #8-007 was shared with three neighboring ranches.
** These funds were shared with three adjacent grazing allotments.

Government assistance disbursed prior to 2013 benefited the ranch's previous owner Wilma Jenkins, who sold the ranch to the Bryces in 2012.
Fost Flake Ranch (Gaylan Flake) - Lake Mountain & Clay Springs Allotments, State Lease #05-001758
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1999EWP$22,579Paid to Take Cattle Off the Land During Drought
2000AWPF #99-095$34,037New Livestock Fences & Waters to Protect Brown Creek From Cattle
2000LRP$19,800Brown Creek Riparian Fence
2002OSR #4*$70,542Apache County
2002OSR #27*$19,458Navajo County
2008EQIP$226,554
$392,970TOTAL 1999 - 2008
* Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
Fost Flake died in 1997. His son Gaylan currently manages the ranch.
Graves Ranch (Ronald W. & Chad M. Graves) - Hickey (FS), Wilky & Chimney (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-001286
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2008-2011EQIP$93,870
Ronald W. Graves
2011-2020LFP$183,024Ronald W. Graves
2011-2022LFP$146,629Chad M. Graves
2022LFP$20,896Ronald W. Graves
2023LFP$6,548 Ronald W. Graves
$450,967TOTAL 2008 - 2023
As of late 2023, the GH Cattle Co., LLC is the permittee for the Forest Service’s Hickey grazing allotment.
Hansen Ranch (Don L. Hansen) - Blue Ridge Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005LCCGP #05-45$50,000Grassland Restoration
2007LCCGP #07-38$55,000Grassland Restoration, Water Development
2007-2008EQIP$124,720
$229,720TOTAL 2005 - 2008
Hopi Ranches (Hopi Three Canyon Ranch LLC) - Pickett Lake/Padre Canyon (Coconino NF), 26 Bar (Apache-Sitgreaves NF) & Relic Point (BLM) Allotments, State Leases #05-000474 & #05-002114 (respectively)
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005-2010EQIP$196,397Coconino County
2006-2009EQIP$24,590Apache County
2007LCCGP #07-18$125,000Grassland Resoration, Water Development
2008-2013EQIP$156,393Navajo County
2011LFP$19,321Navajo County
2011-2022LFP$1,137,948Coconino County
2013HPC #12-107$13,250Dipping Vat Cattle Exclosure Fence (26 Bar)
2013HPC #12-108$17,500 Pool Corral Lake Cattle Exclosure Fence (26 Bar)
2023ALLB$500Cattle Carcass Removals (26 bar)
2023LFP$186,144Coconino County
$1,877,043TOTAL 2005 - 2023
The Hopi Tribe owns these ranches. They are managed by Pat Browning. The previous manager was Duane Coleman. They tribe also own ranches in Coconino County that have state grazing leases, including leases #05-000012, #05-002222 & #05-000362.
The 26 Bar Ranch also received at least $17,979 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2018 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
Horseshoe Springs Ranch (John & Cherlyann Thompson) - St. Mary & Benton Creek Allotments, State Leases #05-001584 & #05-085654
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2012WQIG #12-002*$494,087 Improve Coyote Creek Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2016HPC #15-103$10,000Riparian Exclosure
2016-2019EQIP$242,858
2018-2021LFP$18,323
$765,268TOTAL 2012 - 2021
* Per this project's final report, this grant was shared with six neighboring ranches.
Joseph A. & Tammy Auza Sheep Ranches (Joseph A. Auza Sheep Co., LLC) - Hat (Kaibab NF), Long Tom (A-S NF) & Sawtooth Mtn. (BLM) Allotments , State Leases #05-071224 & #05-000311
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2010-2012EQIP$275,042Pinal County
2012-2021LFP$795,740
2014HPC #13-220*$85,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2019HPC #18-212*$100,000Remove Juniper Trees
2021HPC #20-207**$50,000Remove Juniper Trees
2022LFP$122,812
$1,428,594TOTAL 2010 - 2022
The state grazing leases are located in Pinal County.
* Portions of these grants were used on other allotments in the Kaibab National Forest's Williams Ranger District.
** This project was shared with the Slate Mountain grazing allotment on the nearby Coconino National Forest.

The Sawtooth Mountain allotment is located in the BLM's Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Lance Knight Ranches (Lance & Kristen Knight) - Williams Valley (FS) and Hardscrabble Wash, Puerco Ridge & Zion (BLM) Allotments, State Leases #05-001663, #05-001699, #05-043833 & #05-001764
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2011-2021LFP$503,909
2014-2020EQIP$310,615
2022LFP$97,306
$911,830TOTAL 2011 - 2021
The Knights own several public land ranches in Apache County, including:
Five Knights Ranch: Williams Valley (FS) Allotment, State Leases 05-001663 & #05-001699
Broken L Badlands Ranch - Puerco Ridge (BLM) Allotment, State Lease #05-043833
T 7 Ranch - Hardscrabble Wash (BLM) Allotment, State Lease #05-001764
Lance Knight has also received at least $39,723 from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2019 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves on his Five Knights Ranch.
Maddock Ranch (SPO Land & Cattle Co. LLC) - Udall & Rudd Creek Allotments, State Lease #05-001357
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2011-2021LFP$309,646
2012WQIG #12-002*$494,087 Improve Coyote Creek Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2013-2021EQIP$569,279
2015WQIG #15-005**$322,822Improve Upper Little Colorado River Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2022EQIP$41,330
2022LFP$42,382
$1,779,546TOTAL 2011 - 2022
* Per this project's final report, this grant was shared with six neighboring ranches.
** Per this project's final report, this grant was shared with five neighboring ranches.
The ranch’s owner also received at least $25,560 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2019 for livestock reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves. This includes $10,000 for a horse.
Norman Brown Ranch (Norman & Karen Brown) - Greens Peak Allotment, State Lease #05-030837
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2011-2021LFP$34,230
2019-2020EQIP$100,803
2023LFP$3,534
$138,567TOTAL 2011 -2023
Pigeon Ranch (Adam & Anna M. Price) - Pigeon Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2007WHREF$280,662Remove Pinyon & Juniper Trees (T-Link Ranch)
2007HPC #06-502$60,000Help Remove Pinyon Pine & Juniper Trees (T-Link Ranch)
2007WHREF*$179,265Help Remove Pinyon Pine & Juniper Trees In the Sheep Wash Watershed (T-Link Ranch)
2014HPC #13-104$69,000West Pigeon Water Development (T-Link Ranch)
2014Heritage Fund$10,000West Pigeon Water Development (T-Link Ranch)
2019-2022LFP$21,399Alamosa Ranch LLC
$620,326TOTAL 2007 - 2022
Assistance received prior to 2023 benefited the previous permittees T-Link Ranches Inc. and Alamosa Ranch LLC, a New Mexico corporation.
* These funds were shared with three adjacent grazing allotments.
Porter Ranch (Rodney Porter) - Black Canyon Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2002OSR #17*$18,823
2008-2015EQIP*$364,944
2009HPC #08-116*$30,000Remove Juniper Trees
2018LFP$7,316
2020-2021EQIP$30,214
$451,297TOTAL 2002 - 2021
Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
* This assistance was received by the ranch’s previous owner James W. Porter, who died in late 2015. He was the father of Rodney Porter.
Rodgers/Lee Ranch (Spear T Ranch, LLC) - N. Escudilla Allotment, State Lease #05-000787
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2011-2019EQIP$375,072
2011-2018LFP$31,733
2012WQIG #12-002*$494,087 Improve Coyote Creek Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2015WQIG #15-005**$322,822Improve Upper Little Colorado River Watershed Degraded by Livestock Grazing
2018WQIG #20-007$59,869Repair Coyote Creek Streambank
2020LFP$11,646
2020HPC #19-106$90,000Pinyon Pine & Juniper Tree Removal (Year 1 of 5 years of $90,00 per year.)
2021HPC #20-106$90,000Pinyon Pine & Juniper Tree Removal (Year 2 of 5 years of $90,00 per year.)
2021EQIP$119,557
2022HPC #21-106$90,000Pinyon Pine & Juniper Tree Removal (Year 3 of 5 years of $90,00 per year.)
2022EQIP$97,143
2023HPC #22-106$90,000Pinyon Pine & Juniper Tree Removal (Year 4 of 5 years of $90,00 per year.)
$1,871,899TOTAL 2011 - 2023
* Per this project's final report, this grant was shared with six neighboring ranches.
** Per this project’s final report, it was shared with five neighboring ranches.
The ranch’s previous owner, Betty Elaine Rogers, passed away on July 17, 2019. Shawna Lee, one of the current owners, is her daughter.
The ranch’s owners also received at least $3,355 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2022 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
Spur Ranch (Spur Ranch Cattle Co. LLC, Spur Ranch LLC) - Alma Mesa Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2015HPC #14-116$8,330Water Development
2018-2023LFP$25,153Spur Ranch Cattle Co. LLC
2018-2023LFP$55,123Spur Ranch LLC
2023EQIP$77,163Spur Ranch Cattle Co. LLC
$165,769TOTAL 2015 - 2023
NOTE: In 2020 $28,032 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2020 Cow Canyon Fire. The money was shared among five grazing allotments, including this one, on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
This ranch was one of the beneficiaries of Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program (APWIAP) grant #21-805 for $230,250 in response to the 2021 Horton Complex Fire.
Spur Ranch Cattle Co. LLC also holds the permit for the Luna grazing allotment in New Mexico's nearby Gila National Forest, and received at least another $29,911 of EQIP assistance for that operation from 2021-2024. Also, Spur Ranch Cattle Co. LLC and Spur Ranch LLC received $24,117 of LFP assistance in 2020 in New Mexico. The Spur Ranch has also received at least $9,083 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2021 for cattle reportedly killed in Arizona by endangered Mexican wolves. (There may have been more payments for cattle reportedly killed by wolves in New Mexico.)
Timberline Ranch (Timberline Cattle Co., LLC) - Hall & Harris Lake Allotments, State Leases #05-088172 & #05-110230
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2009LCCGP #09-33$100,000Adaptive Livestock Management
2010-2014EQIP$119,058
2011WHIP$46,963
2011LCCGP #11-14$112,350Implementing Conservation
2011-2019LFP$765,842
2014HPC #13-103$45,000Remove Juniper Trees
2015HPC #14-10978,200Remove Juniper Trees
2015Heritage Fund$3,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2016Heritage Fund$3,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2017Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2019Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2023ALLB$500Cattle Carcass Removals
2023AWPF #2301$261,000Remove Juniper Trees
2023LFP$38,852 (Carey D. Dobson)
$1,584,015TOTAL 2009 - 2023
The Timberline Ranch also received at least $174,358 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2017 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
Tule Springs Ranch (Winkle Brothers LLC) - Tule Grazing Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005LCCGP #05-95$100,000Livestock Water
2006WQIG #8-007*$360,930 Upper Eagle Creek Watershed Restoration Phase 2
2007LCCGP #07-90$100,000Livestock Water and Fencing
2009-2019EQIP$46,843
2009LCCGP #09-116$100,000Upper Eagle Creek Watershed Restoration, Tule Allotment
2011LCCGP #11-81$122,572Tule Springs Ranch & Allotment Resource Management
2011-2021LFP$56,036
$886,381TOTAL 2005 - 2021
* WQIG #8-007 was shared with three neighboring ranches.
Turtle Mountain Ranch (Turtle Cattle Co. LLC) - Turtle Mountain, Morenci, Metcalf (BLM) & Granville (FS) Allotments, State Subleases #05-001089, #05-002190
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2007LCCGP #07-70$125,000Livestock Water, Fencing
2008WQIG #10-008$126,900Gila Box RNCA Riparian Fence
2008LRP$22,200Gila Box RNCA Riparian Fence
2009-2015EQIP$180,873
2011-2016LFP$306,270
2011LCCGP #11-52$83,910Chesser Creek Rehab
2013HPC #12-502$29,623Turtle Mtn. Allotment Water & Livestock Fence
2014HPC #13-503$33,000Turtle Mtn. Allotment Water & Livestock Fence
2016LCCGP #16-19$47,863Livestock Fence Reconstruction
2018LFP$48,886
2020-2021LFP$106,920
2022LFP$32,104
2023LFP$90,165
$1,233,714TOTAL 2007 - 2023
The government assistance disbursed prior to 2019 benefited the ranch's previous owners, Noland Ranch LLC, which sold the to Turtle Cattle Co. LLC ranch in 2019. One of the ranch's current owners, John L. Klump, was convicted in 1998 of selling the hides of endangered jaguars and ocelots. Portions of the Turtle Mtn. and Morenci grazing allotments are located within the BLM’s Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area.
Wild Bunch Ranch (Luke G. & Rebecca A. Baumeister) - Wildbunch Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2007LCCGP #07-15$50,000*Water Development & Fencing
2007-2011EQIP$53,312*
2011-2020LFP$118,196*
2020-2022LFP$81,145
$302,653TOTAL 2007 - 2022
* This government assistance was received by the ranch’s previous owners, Carlyle & Martha Cathcart.
WY Bar & LWJ Ranch (LWJ Ranch, LLC) - Cow Flat, Foote Creek, PS, Stone Creek, Alpine, Bobcat-Johnson, Fishhook-Steeple Mesa, and Beaver Creek Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2002OSR #23*$38,839
2005LCCGP #05-65$87,339Livestock Water & Grassland Restoration
2007LCCGP #07-62$100,000Livestock Water & Grassland Restoration
2009LCCGP #09-72$100,000Riparian, Livestock Water & Management
2011LCCGP #11-45$125,000Livestock Water & Riparian Protection
2011LFP$13,210$5,046 LWJ Ranch LLC
$8,164 Barbara Marks
2014Heritage Fund$6,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2016HPC #15-104$15,000Dirt Tank Repairs
2016Heritage Fund$6,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2017Heritage Fund$6,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2018Heritage Fund$6,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2019-2021EQIP$24,059
2019ALLB$32,000Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grant #19.007
2021HPC #20-108$20,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2021LFP$38,526$19,812 LWJ Ranch LLC
$18,714 Barbara Marks
2022HPC #21-105$39,000Dirt Tank Cleaning
2022EQIP$164
2022LFP$36,821$16,578 LWJ Ranch LLC
$20,243 Barbara Marks
2023EQIP$26,606
2023ALLB$35,260Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grant #23.024
2024HPC #23-105$10,000Dirt Tank Cleanout
$765,824TOTAL 2002 - 2024
* Open Space Reserve (OSR) grants became LCCGP grants in 2005.
NOTE: In 2020 $28,032 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2020 Cow Canyon Fire. The money was shared among five grazing allotments, including four of these, on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
This ranch was one of the beneficiaries of Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program (APWIAP) grant #21-804 for $483,545 in response to the 2020 Cow Canyon Fire.
This ranch was one of the beneficiaries of Arizona Post-Wildfire Infrastructure Assistance Program (APWIAP) grant #21-805 for $230,250 in response to the 2021 Horton Complex Fire.
The WY Bar Ranch also received at least $43,727 in compensation from the Arizona Livestock Loss Board since 2017 for cattle reportedly killed by endangered Mexican wolves.
X Diamond Ranch (Southfork Properties LLP) - Greer & Voigt Allotments, State Leases #05-053061 & #05-082958, Sublease #05-000187-102
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2006AWPF #05-126$352,119X Diamond Ranch Little Colorado River Riparian Enhancement Project
2014Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2015Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2017Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2018Heritage Fund$5,000Mexican Wolf/Livestock Conflict Reduction
2019ALLB$66,000Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grants #19.001 & #19.005
2020ALLB$66,000Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grants #20.010 & #20.012
2021ALLB$63,500Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grants #21.015 & #21.017
2023ALLB$19,440Mexican Wolf Depredation Prevention Grant #23.025
$587,059TOTAL 2006 - 2023
The X Diamond Ranch is owned by Arizona Livestock Loss Board member Sarahmarge Crigler. She has received at least $21,635 in compensation from the Board since 2019 for cattle reportedly killed by Mexican wolves.
Crigler has also been given a sublease by the AZ Game & Fish Dept. for one of the state grazing leases the agency holds for its White Mountains Grasslands Wildlife Area. These leases were associated with the Cross L and Ocote ranch properties the Department purchased to create the wildlife area. The agency held onto them in order to be able to maintain some control over their manner of use.
Note: Ranch ownership often changes in Arizona, because much of the state is too hot and dry for most operations to be sustainably profitable. The ranch owners shown in the tables above are updated when information about a new owner is acquired, but the amounts of government assistance that benefited the ranch's previous owners are maintained.
Background Information About Government Assistance Programs

Some of this financial assistance was justified as being primarily for the purpose of improving wildlife habitat or watershed health. But those projects also benefited livestock production on the ranches where they were implemented. Whatever improvements to local natural resource conditions that might have resulted were tempered by the increased livestock grazing they facilitated.

The assistance didn’t always go directly to the ranchers, but sometimes to local non-profit organizations that helped them complete application processes and minimize taxable income. This included the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, Coronado Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc., Gila Watershed Partnership of Arizona, and the Upper Eagle Creek Watershed Association (UECWA).

Some of it also went to the local Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD). Arizona’s NRCDs are regional subdivisions of the State Land Department, and are comprised only of local landowners, mostly ranchers, that work to obtain funding for agricultural “conservation” projects. They often work to obtain grants that directly benefit their members, including their governing supervisors. The local NRCDs also created the private nonprofit Arizona Association of Conservation Districts so they could apply for more types of assistance.

These aren't the only examples of Arizona ranches that benefited from government assistance. But it takes a lot of work to gather and compile this sort of information, because the agencies don't normally disclose it, so this web page will be updated as additional records are obtained. Also, the information provided about some of these ranches may be incomplete. But that just means those ranches benefited from at least the amounts shown.

Update

On June 21, 2024, Gov. Katie Hobbs signed HB 2865, creating a new state agency called the Natural Resource Conservation District Board, comprised primarily of local NRCD supervisors. It's tasked with providing administrative assistance to the state's regional Natural Resource Conservation Districts, which was formerly the responsibility of the Arizona State Land Department. The initial operating funds for the Board will come from the Legislature's regular annual appropriation of $650,000 to the state's NRCDs. The NRCD Board is also responsible for dispensing "conservation" and "education" grants from a new NRCD Fund to the local NRCDs and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The monies in the fund can include state appropriations, grants and contributions - although the Legislature didn't make an initial appropriation to the fund. Most of the grants dispensed by the Board will likely benefit ranchers, as most NRCD supervisors are ranchers.

This page was last updated on Jun 19, 2024 @ 7:39 am.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.