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Sierra Club Criticizes New Regulations for Grazing on Public Lands Bush Administration Threatens Sustainability of Western Landscapes; Public Hearings Allow Citizens to Comment Washington, DC – The Sierra Club is criticizing the Bush Administration’s new rules regarding livestock grazing on public lands, as citizens across the West speak out about the proposed changes. Late last year the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released proposed changes to grazing regulations which will ultimately hurt the long-term sustainability of America’s western landscapes. “The Bush administration’s changes will put us back decades in the effort to improve the health of our public lands,” said Sierra Club President Larry Fahn. “The West’s landscapes have been overgrazed for decades. Over the years the BLM has made some progress, but these recent moves threaten that progress.” One of the most damaging regulation changes would dramatically increase the length of time before the BLM would correct grazing management problems. The BLM would never be required to make changes within one year and could delay changes for several years. If the necessary remedy calls for reducing the number of cattle then the BLM would have to phase in the changes over a five year period. The new regulations basically give the BLM the chance to procrastinate making necessary changes for years. The Bush administration also wants to restrict public input on grazing management on public lands. The public would only be able to comment on general land use plans rather than grazing permit renewals or actual grazing monitoring. While the Bush administration claims to be giving the public an early opportunity to get involved in decisions, these regulations do not provide any new avenue for this participation. In fact, the new regulations remove opportunities for the public to get involved. “If the Bush Administration gets its way, the public could get its turn to talk about grazing in an area every 10 to 20 years, or whenever the BLM gets around to revising its management plans,” said Fahn. “The Bush Administration’s new grazing regulations are something out of the James Watt era, when America’s public lands were open for all kinds of commercial exploitation without regard for the lasting consequences.” At the first meeting in Salt Lake City, the BLM presented a slide show to explain the new rules. Members of the audience asked for clarification of the words and ideas presented. The BLM representatives refused to answer questions or provide any clarification to those attending the meeting. “It must be embarrassing not to be able to answer questions or clear up vague statements. Perhaps their heart is not really in this regulatory change,” said Wayne Y. Hoskisson with the Sierra Club Grazing Committee. The BLM manages 261 million acres of public lands, and American taxpayers spend about $500 million annually to administer cattle grazing on roughly 170 million of those acres. “Why does the Bush administration want to silence the public’s voice on the management of million acres of the public’s lands?” asked Hoskisson. “These new rules from the Bush Administration appear to benefit billionaire ranchers like J. R. Simplot rather than the average rancher." "The Bush administration should be looking at new and creative ways to heal the western landscapes and help financially stressed ranchers. There is a better way than returning to unsustainable grazing practices,” said Hoskisson. Public meetings on the new regulations are scheduled for late January and early February in Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Boise, Billings, Cheyenne and Washington, D.C: January 27 – in Salt Lake City, Utah, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Marriott Hotel, 75 South West Temple) January 28 -- Phoenix, Arizona, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Wyndham Phoenix Hotel, 50 East Adams Street) January 31 -- Boise, Idaho, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (Doubletree Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Boulevard) February 2 -- Billings, Montana, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Holiday Inn Grand Montana, 5500 Midland Road) February 3 -- Cheyenne, Wyoming, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Little America, 2800 West Lincolnway) February 5 – Washington, D.C., 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (Courtyard by Marriott-Embassy Row, 1600 Rhode Island Avenue)
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