Kaibab National Forest Ranches

Ranches that are permitted to use grazing allotments administered by the Kaibab National Forest 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.
55 RanchBear Canyon RanchCauthen RanchCO Bar RanchFletcher RanchesGold Trap RanchGrand Canyon RanchGrantham RanchJoe Auza Sheep RanchesJoseph A. Auza Sheep RanchesManterola Sheep RanchesMcNelly RanchesNagiller Ranch
55 Ranch (55 Ranch, LLC) - Double A and Corva Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2008HPC #07-223$100,000Juniper Removal & Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2009HPC #08-219$90,000Juniper Removal
2011-2021LFP$223,535
2012-2017EQIP$400,151
2022LFP$71,211
$884,897TOTAL 2008 - 2022
Bear Canyon Ranch (Shiew Cattle, LLC) - Sand Flat (Prescott NF) & Tule (Kaibab NF) Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2015-2020LFP$209,233(Nancy Shiew)
2019-2020LFP$76,645(Shiew Cattle LLC)
2019HPC #18-202$5,000Dirt Tank Renovations
2021-2022EQIP$226,283
2022LFP$64,786(Nancy Shiew)
2022LFP$108,256(Shiew Cattle LLC)
2023APWIAP*$75,800Rebuild Livestock Fences & Waters Burned in the 2021 Rafael Fire
2023EQIP$32,807
2023LFP$15,753
$814,563TOTAL 2015 - 2023
*Temporary program administered by the Arizona Dept. of Forestry & Fire Management.
NOTE: In 2021 $90,000 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2021 Rafael Fire. The money was shared among three grazing allotments, including the Tule allotment, in the Kaibab National Forest’s Williams Ranger District.
Cauthen Ranch (Cauthen Cattle Co. LLC) - Irishman Dam Allotment
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2011-2021LFP$127,686
2012HPC #11-220*$100,000Remove Juniper Trees
2014-2021EQIP$696,425
2014HPC #13-205*$75,000Remove Juniper Trees
2015HPC #14-207*$65,000Remove Juniper Trees
2015HPC #14-234$11,000Irish Dam Water Development
2019HPC #18-212*$100,000Remove Juniper Trees
$1,175,111TOTAL 2011 - 2021
* Portions of these projects were completed on neighboring Forest Service grazing allotments.
CO Bar Ranch (Babbitt Ranches LLC) - Slate Mtn. & Wild Bill (Coconino NF), Moqui (Kaibab NF) & CO Bar (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-000252
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2005LCCGP #05-26$150,000Grassland Restoration
2007LCCGP #07-02$125,000Grassland Restoration
2007WHIP*$70,124
2009-2017PFWP$199,950
2009LCCGP #09-29$125,000Grassland Restoration
2009HPC #08-203$50,000Grassland Restoration
2010Heritage Fund$50,000 Public Access to CO Bar, Espee, and Cataract Ranches
2011LCCGP #11-02$125,000Cut Down Juniper Trees & Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2013LRP$100,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2013HPC #12-202$40,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2015Heritage Fund$800,000Public Access for 10 Years to CO Bar & Espee Ranches
2018HPC #17-202$30,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2018-2021LFP$382,764
2021Heritage Fund$160,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2021HPC #20-207**$50,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2022Heritage Fund$20,000Remove Pinyon Pine and Juniper Trees
2023LFP$98,938
$2,576,776TOTAL 2005 - 2023
* WHIP ended in 2013 and was absorbed by the EQIP program.
** This project was shared with Hat grazing allotment on the nearby Kaibab National Forest.
This isn't all of the government assistance that benefited the ranch. According to a 2008 Arizona Game & Fish Department letter, they had previously spent more than $1.3 million on the ranch.

The enormous CO Bar Ranch is located between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, and runs from the Little Colorado River in the east to State Route 64 in the west. It is comprised primarily of private and state land, but includes the Coconino National Forest's Slate Mountain & Wild Bill grazing allotments in the south, and the Kaibab National Forest's Moqui grazing allotment in the north, along with the BLM's small CO Bar allotment, administered by their Hassayampa Field Office. The ranch has used scientifically discredited Holistic Resource Management (HRM) intensive grazing theories. HRM grazing plans are typified by high utilization rates, which can increase competition between cattle and wildlife for forage, and degrade watershed health and wildlife habitat - especially in dry ecosystems and during droughts. (Babbitt Ranches LLC also owns the Espee Ranch, located west of SR 64, which includes private land and state grazing lease #05-000822.)
Fletcher Ranches (Fletcher Land & Cattle, LLC) - Muldoon (Prescott NF), Government Mtn. & Government Prairie (Kaibab NF) Allotments, State Leases #05-053124, #05-100364, #05-003563, #05-025503 & #05-113715
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2015-2021LFP$432,189(Fletcher Land & Cattle LLC)
2015-2022LFP$182,719(James M. Fletcher)
2018-2022LFP$20,705(Kimberly A. Fletcher)
2022LFP$77,277(Fletcher Land & Cattle LLC)
$712,890TOTAL 2015 - 2022
Gold Trap Ranch (Curt A. Wells) - Partridge Creek Allotment, State Leases #05-000144 & #05-001108
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1999EWP$41,933Paid to Take Cattle Off the Land During Drought
2011-2021EWP$276,134
2015-2021LFP$30,062Chino Valley, Yavapai County (State Lease #05-001108)
$348,129TOTAL 1999 - 2021
The Gold Trap Ranch was sold to the Havasupai Tribe in 2022. The tribe also holds the grazing permit for the Forest’s Rain Tank allotment.
Grand Canyon Ranch (Territorial Livestock & Cattle Co., LLC) - Ryan (FS), Grama Spring, Hacks, Kanab Gulch & Gulch (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-000667
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2007-2021EQIP$467,049
David O. Johnson
2017HPC #16-205$100,000Pinyon Pine & Juniper Tree Removal
2022LFP$5,823David O. Johnson
$572,872TOTAL 2007 - 2022
NOTE: In 2020 $343,852 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2020 Mangum Fire. The money was shared among five grazing allotments, including this one, in the Kaibab National Forest's North Kaibab Ranger District.
Grantham Ranch (TG Ranch, LLC) - Pine Creek Allotment, State Lease #05-000901 & #05-093164
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2013-2014EQIP$60,961
2018-2022LFP$55,328
$116,289TOTAL 2013 - 2022
Joe & Carmen Auza Sheep Ranches (Joe Auza Sheep Co., Auza Ranches LLC) - Big Springs, Cowboy Tank, Squaw Mtn., Twin Tanks (Kaibab NF), Auza & Cordes (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-000862
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1999EWP$44,004Paid to Take Sheep Off the Land During Drought - Coconino County
1999EWP$69,907Paid to Take Sheep Off the Land During Drought - Maricopa County
2011-2021LFP$892,610
2013EQIP$17,849Coconino County
2017-2019EQIP$96,174Maricopa County
2022LFP$169,274
2023EQIP$115,658
2023LFP$60,090
$1,465,566TOTAL 1999 - 2023
The state grazing lease is located in Maricopa County.
NOTE: In 2021 $90,000 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2021 Rafael Fire. The money was shared among three grazing allotments, including the Big Springs allotment, in the Kaibab National Forest’s Williams Ranger District.
The Cordes allotment is located within the BLM’s Agua Fria National Monument.
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.
Joe Manterola Sheep Ranches (Manterola Sheep Company Inc.) - Mooney Mtn. & Woody Mtn. (Coconino NF), Garland Prairie & Pomeroy Allotments (Kaibab NF), Cordes (BLM) Allotments, State Lease #05-001225
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
1999EWP$79,108Paid to Take Sheep Off the Land During Drought - Coconino County
1999EWP$11,085Paid to Take Sheep Off the Land During Drought -Pinal County
2004-2007EQIP$7,804Coconino County
2012-2020LFP$12,679Pinal County
2011-2021LFP$999,240Coconino County
2022LFP$49,823Coconino County
2023LFP$13,199
$1,172,938TOTAL 1999 - 2023
The state grazing lease is located in Pinal County.
NOTE: In 2021 $90,000 in federal Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds were approved to help rebuild livestock fences & waters damaged in the 2021 Rafael Fire. The money was shared among three grazing allotments, including the Pomeroy allotment, in the Kaibab National Forest’s Williams Ranger District.
The Cordes allotment is located within the BLM’s Agua Fria National Monument.
McNelly Ranches (McNelly Ranches, LLC) - Homestead, Davenport Lake, Sitgreaves & Ebert Allotments, State Leases #05-083853, #05-000169
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2004-2020EQIP$763,983
2005LCCGP #05-69$39,000Livestock Water
2011-2020LFP$512,950
2011HPC #10-207*$25,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2014HPC #13-220*$85,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2015HPC #14-207*$65,000Remove Juniper Trees
2022LFP$103,923
2023LFP$16,059
$1,610,915TOTAL 2004 - 2023
* Portions of these grants were used on other allotments in the Williams Ranger District.
Nagiller Ranch (Nagiller & Sons Inc.) - Smoot Lake & Moritz Lake Allotments
YEARSPROGRAMAMOUNTPROJECT NAME
2010HPC #09-203*$45,000Remove Juniper Trees
2011HPC #10-207*$25,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2012HPC #11-220*$100,000Remove Juniper Trees
2014HPC #13-205*$75,000Remove Juniper Trees
2014HPC #13-220*$85,000Dirt Tank Cleanouts
2014-2020LFP$261,193
2015HPC #14-207*$65,000Remove Juniper Trees
2022LFP$56,989
2023LFP$47,903
$761,085TOTAL 2010 - 2023
* Portions of these grants were used on other allotments in the Williams Ranger District.
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 Jul 2, 2024 @ 1:33 pm.

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