California wildfires force ranchers into touch choices

While the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged northeastern California in August have been extinguished with the season's first rain and snow, economic and environmental damage will continue for years for families who ranch, log and live in the state's mountain counties.

And ranchers say an increased number of wildfires, coupled with the rest periods for grassland required by federal agencies, mean the cumulative effect of wildfires takes ever greater amounts of grazing land out of production—limiting feed options and the ability for ranchers to produce food economically.