When You Have Your Own Judge
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Over the past several years an anti-livestock grazing organization has been making progress in their assault on destroying western livestock production by funneling their attacks to the same Idaho-based judge.
As an example, Western Watersheds Project challenged 18 Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) prepared by 18 separate Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices in six different Western states. Those who disagreed with the challenge to the management decisions, BLM and stakeholders, immediately filed a motion to dismiss parts of the complaint and asked that the case be handled separately in U.S. Courts in each of the affected states, rather than as one large lawsuit. That wasn’t an approach that would have fit the cause of doing away with livestock grazing on federally managed lands however so the judge in question, Judge B. Lynn Winmill, Chief U.S. District Judge, ordered that the case be sent his way.
Supposedly, the reason for Judge Winmill’s decision for taking on the 25 million acre bundle is the factor of whether the land management agency appropriately considered grazing ramifications in light of how Sage Grouse might be impacted. This is the same judge who sent the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that Sage Grouse weren’t endangered back through the decision process on the scientific principle of who was in the room when the decision to not list was made.
Western Watersheds and their judge are not about responsible management of resources or science. The goal is to remove livestock grazing from the federal lands and the means to accomplish that end result is determining whether all the details of how decisions are made (through the National Environmental Policy Act – NEPA).
Caught in their own regulatory quagmire the federal agencies are failing to ever apply responsible management. Instead of doing their jobs they are locked in the office attempting to get done with the paperwork that will be challenged and routed to an Idaho courtroom.
It has become quite apparent that the time has come to resolve this glaring situation of injustice. An alliance of multiple use interests have come together in defense of the ability to use the lands that are critical for the economic well-being of the West. Rangeland resource management and associated environmental issues permeate nearly every aspect of life in the West. Various interconnected ecosystems make each area under the lawsuit intrinsically different. Rangelands provide critical wildlife habitat, water resources, oil, gas, mineral reserves, and recreational opportunities. Local economies are closely associated with the use of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources as well as rural and wildland resources for tourists. Individual local ecosystems and resources need to be considered as they were when the BLM developed the different Resource Management Plans that govern the different BLM districts.
The Western Legacy Alliance (WLA) is a diverse coalition working towards responsible and sustainable public land-use solutions to protect federal and state resources that provide social, environmental and economic benefits for local communities and the nation. The Alliance advocates preserving the history and working landscapes and lifestyles of the American West while promoting the participation and education of youth in agriculture and resource fields. For more information or to join the Western Legacy Alliance visit their web-site or call (208) 206-7309.
Over the past several years an anti-livestock grazing organization has been making progress in their assault on destroying western livestock production by funneling their attacks to the same Idaho-based judge.
As an example, Western Watersheds Project challenged 18 Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) prepared by 18 separate Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offices in six different Western states. Those who disagreed with the challenge to the management decisions, BLM and stakeholders, immediately filed a motion to dismiss parts of the complaint and asked that the case be handled separately in U.S. Courts in each of the affected states, rather than as one large lawsuit. That wasn’t an approach that would have fit the cause of doing away with livestock grazing on federally managed lands however so the judge in question, Judge B. Lynn Winmill, Chief U.S. District Judge, ordered that the case be sent his way.
Supposedly, the reason for Judge Winmill’s decision for taking on the 25 million acre bundle is the factor of whether the land management agency appropriately considered grazing ramifications in light of how Sage Grouse might be impacted. This is the same judge who sent the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that Sage Grouse weren’t endangered back through the decision process on the scientific principle of who was in the room when the decision to not list was made.
Western Watersheds and their judge are not about responsible management of resources or science. The goal is to remove livestock grazing from the federal lands and the means to accomplish that end result is determining whether all the details of how decisions are made (through the National Environmental Policy Act – NEPA).
Caught in their own regulatory quagmire the federal agencies are failing to ever apply responsible management. Instead of doing their jobs they are locked in the office attempting to get done with the paperwork that will be challenged and routed to an Idaho courtroom.
It has become quite apparent that the time has come to resolve this glaring situation of injustice. An alliance of multiple use interests have come together in defense of the ability to use the lands that are critical for the economic well-being of the West. Rangeland resource management and associated environmental issues permeate nearly every aspect of life in the West. Various interconnected ecosystems make each area under the lawsuit intrinsically different. Rangelands provide critical wildlife habitat, water resources, oil, gas, mineral reserves, and recreational opportunities. Local economies are closely associated with the use of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources as well as rural and wildland resources for tourists. Individual local ecosystems and resources need to be considered as they were when the BLM developed the different Resource Management Plans that govern the different BLM districts.
The Western Legacy Alliance (WLA) is a diverse coalition working towards responsible and sustainable public land-use solutions to protect federal and state resources that provide social, environmental and economic benefits for local communities and the nation. The Alliance advocates preserving the history and working landscapes and lifestyles of the American West while promoting the participation and education of youth in agriculture and resource fields. For more information or to join the Western Legacy Alliance visit their web-site or call (208) 206-7309.
Posted by Doug Busselman at 6/5/2009 5:22 AM 
Categories: Public Lands
Tags: Nevada Livestock Grazing On Public Lands Sage Grouse
Categories: Public Lands
Tags: Nevada Livestock Grazing On Public Lands Sage Grouse
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