Western Watersheds Project News Release

December 19, 2005

Contacts:

Russ Heughins, Idaho Wildlife Federation: 208-342-7055
Katie Fite, Western Watersheds Project: 208-429-1679


Conservationists, Ranchers and the BLM Settle Owyhee Grazing Dispute On The Hardtrigger Allotment-

A diverse group of Idaho conservationists have reached a settlement agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and ranchers of an appeal of a March 2005 BLM grazing decision for the 25,000 acre Hardtrigger allotment in Owyhee County.
 
The Hardtrigger allotment is located on the Owyhee Front approximately 10 miles southeast of Marsing, Idaho.  Its public lands are heavily used for recreation, and shelter important habitat for mule deer, antelope, small mammals, sage grouse, quail, and chukar partridge. It is home to several rare plants, and a wild and free roaming horse herd.
 
Al Logosz of the Idaho Wildlife Federation stated: “We’re pleased to see BLM and the ranchers agree to a reasonable and appropriate 20% grazing utilization level for the sensitive lower elevation areas of Hardtrigger that provide important big game and upland bird habitats”.
 
The allotment has long been embroiled in controversy. In the 1990s, BLM issued a new grazing decision based on scientific analysis that found serious wildlife habitat and riparian area problems caused by livestock grazing. This new science-based management was later derailed by a behind-closed-doors agreement between ranchers and the BLM through involvement of BLM-hired livestock industry consultants.
 
As a result, Western Watersheds Project, Idaho Wildlife Federation and Idaho Bird Hunters filed litigation in federal district court to force BLM to conduct an open review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of the new rancher deal. BLM then issued a NEPA review and grazing Decision earlier in 2005 that contradicted the scientific findings of its earlier studies. Conservation groups appealed this BLM- rancher agreement in early 2005 saying it would continue to degrade rangeland health and adversely impact wildlife habitat.
 
“It’s amazing the depths to which the BLM managers stooped, and the amount of money they wanted to spend, to please a hand full of public lands ranchers, said Todd Tucci, attorney for the conservation groups,  “The BLM wanted to continue damaging public lands by authorizing increased spring livestock use, constructing a maze of new fences in the midst of wildlife, rare plant and wild horse herd areas and drilling expensive wells for cattle”.
 
The newly signed settlement agreement requires a reduction in the amount and time of grazing use in certain pastures and implements an interim grazing system pending BLM’s completion of a new grazing plan and Environmental Assessment by December 31, 2007. The BLM must also conduct additional studies determining pasture grazing capacities and assessing grazing impacts to riparian areas, wildlife habitat and rangeland health.
 
The conservation groups involved in the settlement are Western Watersheds Project, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Idaho Bird Hunters and the Idaho Native Plant Society Pahove Chapter.