DUTCH JOE RANCH
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
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SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES
Said in its simplest terms, the Dutch Joe Ranch’s
“Sustainability” objectives are to become substantially self-sufficient in the
following areas:
1. Production of electric power energy through alternative
energy methods.
2. Production of household heating and cooking using alternative energy methods.
3. Production of household domestic hot water using alternative energy methods.
4. Production of water from snow melt and surface runoffs and deep well sources.
5. Production and availability of food from:
a. Fish from lakes (aquaculture)
b. Beef from cattle herd
c. Chicken production for eggs and meat
d. Milk from dairy cows
e. Food crops from row-crop farming and garden plots
f. Vegetables from greenhouse production methods
6. Development and teaching of food preservation and food
storage methods.
7. Development of housing designs and concepts that will be ecologically
compatible and efficient to sustain individuals and families in a safe and
secure ecologically compatible environment.
While the concept of Sustainability is usually focused on environmental and
ecological issues, at the Dutch Joe Ranch, the goal of obtaining Sustainability
is broadened to include sustainability of individuals and families in terms of
housing, recreation, education, physical and mental health and healthy
recreation - - with an emphasis on sustaining family security, stability and family
values.
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GREEN OBJECTIVES
“Green” in many cases may overlap with some components
of Sustainability. The following listed items, that are in place or planned at
the Dutch Joe Ranch, fall into the more generally accepted concepts of Green:
1. Thinning and clearing of brush to restore the Ranch forest
and adjacent U.S. Forest, to its original balanced ecological condition.
2. Utilization of rain and snow runoff and roof runoff as a renewable water
resource.
3. Utilization of processed and sterilized effluent to grow grass in the
football and baseball fields.
4. Utilization of waste wood from the forest to create energy source.
5. Utilization of local trees in Ranch sawmill for lumber to build Ranch
structures.
6. Utilization of good soil, rocks and clay from excavation of lakes for use in
landscaping for fill and for sand and gravel for Ranch roads.
7. Grass production increased for beef and indigenous animals.
8. Preservation of “black sky” quality.
9. Dust and mud control.
10. The Ranch CC&R’s and Architectural Guidelines
encourage “Green” and design concepts.
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FORESTS RESTORATION OBJECTIVES
The Dutch Joe Ranch is in the center of
a very large, beautifully forested area that is very vulnerable to
environmental abuse. Wildfire is always a risk. Abuse can be controlled through
management and regulation. Wildfire can be controlled by management in the form
of forest restoration including, thinning and brush removal. The following are
the Dutch Joe Ranch’s contribution and objectives in forest management.
Wildfire will be addressed in the following “Wildfire Abatement Objective
Section:
1. The Dutch Joe Ranch has thinned, brushed and restored all of its property,
now establishing a “show place” for forest restoration.
2. Primarily because of thinning, bark beetle infestation is under control and
any future outbreaks will be responded to aggressively.
3. The Dutch Joe Ranch will continue a policy of maintaining its forest and
grassland in a healthy condition, both for the benefit of the cattle ranching, but also for the benefit of the indigenous wildlife and Ranchowner safety.
4. The Dutch Joe Ranch will continue to engage with the U.S. Forest Service to
provide assistance in the form of cash contribution to the U.S. Forest Service
restoration programs and assistance in any cooperative programs of restoration
where the Ranch personnel or Ranchowner’s Association
may be able to effectively participate.
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WILDFIRE ABATEMENT OBJECTIVES
Currently, the Dutch Joe Ranch is reputed
to be the most wildfire–defensible property in the Apache Sitgreaves Forest.
The Dutch Joe Ranch future projected plans include the following:
1. Continue to expand its wildfire fighting equipment resources.
2. Continue to maintain thinning and brushing as required by the continuing
growth of trees and brush.
3. Continue to maintain and improve interior and periphery firebreak roads.
4. Continue to maintain lakes as a water resource for firefighting.
5. Continue to maintain interior fire roads for DJR fire-fighting access.
6. Continue to maintain existing firefighting equipment and further acquire
additional wildfire and structure firefighting equipment.
7. Continue to train and certify Ranch employees and Ranchowners as wildfire-fighters.
8. Build fire department building.
9. Organize a volunteer fire department.
10. Train volunteer fire department personnel in wildfire and structure fire
training.
11. The DJR requires all Ranchhouse buildings to
be equipped with internal automatic fire sprinkler systems.
12. The DJR plans to install fire hydrants after the volunteer fire department
is organized and the Ranch has acquired a dedicated pumper truck.
13. The DJR plans to attempt to create an effective working relationship or
contract with an adjacent town for mutual support of equipment, personnel and
training.
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INDIGENOUS AND GAME ANIMAL ENHANCEMENT OBJECTIVES
For some time now,
the Dutch Joe Ranch has worked in a fashion to actively cooperate with the
Arizona Game and Fish Department. The Dutch Joe Ranch will continue and expand
its current program of assisting in enhancement of game animal and indigenous
animal habitat in the following areas:
1. Provide free water during dry periods for personnel of the Arizona Game
& Fish Department to use for game animals use.
2. Continue to deploy quantities of salt and mineral supplements to
numerous of locations within its 42,000-acre U.S. Forest Service Grazing Permit for the benefit of the Ranch Cattle Program and for indigenous wildlife.
3. Continue to haul water during the dry periods to the numerous water tanks in
the 42,000-acre U.S. Forest Service Grazing Permit for the benefit of the Ranch Cattle Program and for indigenous wildlife.
4. Continue to actively perform forest brush removal, thinning and forest
restoration on its own property and to cooperate with the U.S. Forest Service
and Arizona Game and Fish Department in forest thinning, brush removal and
forest restoration in the nearby U.S. Forest.
5. Continue to allow elk, deer and waterfowl, and other forest critters to use
the DJR lakes as a reliable water resource.
6. Continue to provide a meaningful natural food and water source for numerous
predator birds including bald eagles, osprey and several other hawk varieties,
plus blue herons, and numerous varieties of migratory ducks. In addition, raccoons, badgers, foxes,
squirrels, chipmunks and other animals frequent the lakes.
7. Continue to provide game animal viewing tours, photography tours and
teaching seminars may be developed for DJR Ranchowners,
their families and guests in an attempt to expose, educate and involve the Ranchowners in supporting indigenous and game animal
issues.
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