Judge Halts BLM’s Attempt to Revoke Valley Sun’s Grazing Permit for Lack of Use

BOISE — The Department of Interior’s Office of Hearings and Appeals has granted Western Watersheds Project (WWP) a stay of a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decision to cancel Valley Sun, LLC’s (Valley Sun) grazing permit on public lands along the East Fork and main Salmon Rivers in central Idaho. BLM had attempted to cancel the permit for reasons related to Valley Sun’s failure to graze livestock on the allotments. In granting WWP’s request for a stay of the decision, the court cited the threat of irreparable harm to the environment, including endangered salmon habitat, on the steep public lands at issue should the allotments be subject to livestock grazing.

“The stay vindicates our position that public regulators have a primary legal obligation to protect the public interest, land, wildlife and fisheries habitat.” said Brian Ertz, media director for Western Watersheds Project. “In this case, BLM’s loyalties appear to lie with the industry it’s supposed to be regulating.”

Have you seen interesting wildife news? June 16, 2010

Note that this replaces the 11th edition. That edition will now move slowly into the depths of the blog.

Nesting Sandhill Crane © Ken Cole

Please don’t post entire articles here, just the link, title and your comments about the article. Most of these violate copyright law. They also take up too much space.

Appeals court denies earthworm protection

Court says there is not enough evidence to show that worm is threatened.

The recently rediscovered giant Palouse earthworm won’t be given protection because not enough is known about it.

Appeals court denies earthworm protection.
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS – The Associated Press

Oil spotted in Great Salt Lake wetlands

Chevron’s broken pipeline has not been contained completely in the Jordan River at SLC-

More bad news about the Utah “oil spill.”

Oil spotted in Great Salt Lake wetlands. By Judy Fahys. The Salt Lake Tribune