Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Santa Fe, NM – WildEarth Guardians, Prescott National Forest Friends, and two individuals have won an administrative appeal over a U.S. Forest Service decision to allow continued cattle grazing in the “Verde Rim” Livestock grazing project. After reviewing the record and the appeals, the Santa Fe-based appeal decision officer recommended that the decisions be reversed.

The four appeals, filed in October 2004, cover the Bald Hill, Copper Canyon, Squaw Peak and Young grazing allotments. They challenges whether the environmental assessment (EA) for the project, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) fully and appropriately analyzes the effects of livestock grazing on soil and watershed conditions, wildlife (including threatened and endangered species), and specially designated protected areas. They also challenge whether the cumulative effects are considered and whether the new management proposal is consistent with the Prescott Forest Plan and the National Forest Management Act.

Upon review, the appeal deciding officer concluded that, “There is no clear Effects Determination statement … for Federally listed species as required by the Forest Service Manual,” and that the decision is “silent regarding which Management Areas these allotments fall within and if they are consistent with Forest Plan Management Area direction.” Specifically, the EA fails to consider the effects of grazing in the Cedar Bench Wilderness areas and Verde Wild and Scenic River area on the Squaw Peak allotment.

In addition, the decision concludes that the effects on one of the allotments were not analyzed at all! “There is no clear indication that the effects analysis for the Young Allotment was completed as required by NEPA.

“It is good to see that the Forest Service has recognized some of the mistakes it made in this analysis,” said Billy Stern, grazing program coordinator for WildEarth Guardians. “We raised the same points in our public comments, but they were generally ignored. It is sad that it took an appeal to correct these problems. The agency needs to take citizen involvement to heart rather than simply allowing it because it is required.”

Although they did not win this appeal point, the appellants continue to claim that Verde Grazing Projects fails to adequately recognize and evaluate how continued livestock grazing in the area will contribute to soil degradation. The appeal decision claims, “The extent and vigor of soil and water analysis provided more than ample support for the decisions as they relate to soil and water issues.” However, the EA shows that impaired and unsatisfactory soil conditions for the Verde Rim Grazing Project already exceed recommended threshold values.

One of the citizen appeals was written by long time Prescott National Forest activist, Leslie Glustrom and included telling pictures of the severe ecological damage that has been done to the Forest by poorly managed livestock grazing.

“The Prescott National Forest Plan has been in place for over 17 years, “” says Glustrom. “If the Forest was following their own Forest Plan they would never allow the kind of ecological damage that is still occurring over large areas of the Forest. The Plan calls for the Forest to be managed with a primary emphasis on healthy, robust environments. Any one who looks at what is happening on large areas of the Forest can tell that this isn’t happening. One of the key steps to better ecological health is to ensure better management of livestock grazing on the public’s Forest.””

Due to this decision, the Forest Service intends to conduct a new analysis that will comply with the Endangered Species Act, analyze the effects of grazing in wilderness area and Verde Wild and Scenic River on the Squaw Peak Allotment and include an effects analysis for the Young allotment.

Santa Fe, NM- WildEarth Guardians, Prescott National Forest Friends, and two individuals have won an administrative appeal over a U.S. Forest Service decision to allow continued cattle grazing in the “Verde Rim” Livestock grazing project. After reviewing the record and the appeals, the Santa Fe-based appeal decision officer recommended that the decisions be reversed.

The four appeals, filed in October 2004, cover the Bald Hill, Copper Canyon, Squaw Peak and Young grazing allotments. They challenges whether the environmental assessment (EA) for the project, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) fully and appropriately analyzes the effects of livestock grazing on soil and watershed conditions, wildlife (including threatened and endangered species), and specially designated protected areas. They also challenge whether the cumulative effects are considered and whether the new management proposal is consistent with the Prescott Forest Plan and the National Forest Management Act.

Upon review, the appeal deciding officer concluded that, “There is no clear Effects Determination statement … for Federally listed species as required by the Forest Service Manual,” and that the decision is “silent regarding which Management Areas these allotments fall within and if they are consistent with Forest Plan Management Area direction.” Specifically, the EA fails to consider the effects of grazing in the Cedar Bench Wilderness areas and Verde Wild and Scenic River area on the Squaw Peak allotment.

In addition, the decision concludes that the effects on one of the allotments were not analyzed at all! “There is no clear indication that the effects analysis for the Young Allotment was completed as required by NEPA.

“It is good to see that the Forest Service has recognized some of the mistakes it made in this analysis,” said Billy Stern, grazing program coordinator for WildEarth Guardians. “We raised the same points in our public comments, but they were generally ignored. It is sad that it took an appeal to correct these problems. The agency needs to take citizen involvement to heart rather than simply allowing it because it is required.”

Although they did not win this appeal point, the appellants continue to claim that Verde Grazing Projects fails to adequately recognize and evaluate how continued livestock grazing in the area will contribute to soil degradation. The appeal decision claims, “The extent and vigor of soil and water analysis provided more than ample support for the decisions as they relate to soil and water issues.” However, the EA shows that impaired and unsatisfactory soil conditions for the Verde Rim Grazing Project already exceed recommended threshold values.

One of the citizen appeals was written by long time Prescott National Forest activist, Leslie Glustrom and included telling pictures of the severe ecological damage that has been done to the Forest by poorly managed livestock grazing.

“The Prescott National Forest Plan has been in place for over 17 years, “” says Glustrom. “If the Forest was following their own Forest Plan they would never allow the kind of ecological damage that is still occurring over large areas of the Forest. The Plan calls for the Forest to be managed with a primary emphasis on healthy, robust environments. Any one who looks at what is happening on large areas of the Forest can tell that this isn’t happening. One of the key steps to better ecological health is to ensure better management of livestock grazing on the public’s Forest.””

Due to this decision, the Forest Service intends to conduct a new analysis that will comply with the Endangered Species Act, analyze the effects of grazing in wilderness area and Verde Wild and Scenic River on the Squaw Peak Allotment and include an effects analysis for the Young allotment.