Once the family loses its summer grazing allotment, then they will leave ranching soon thereafter.
The math is that the families can not grow enough food to feed the live stock all year.
They need to get some rest for their winter ranges in the valley. While the grass grows in the valley in the summer, the sheep or cattle are in the mountains eating on their rented allotments.
It is too expensive to buy hay and too expensive to buy the extra, replacement land to grow extra hay. Thus they have to cut the herd in half or go out of business all together.
Here's another govt. tidbit
More Federal Support on its Way for Ivory-bill Habitat Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, has announced that the Bush administration is seeking $2.1 million for the 2007 fiscal year to restore and protect the bottomland forest in Eastern Arkansas, including funds to aid in the monitoring and recovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.