Federal Judge Edward Lodge slaps BLM on Pahsimeroi grazing allotment decision

Total victory for Western Watersheds Project and Advocates for the West in four grazing allotments-

Idaho’ federal judge Ed Lodge rarely rules in favor of conservation groups, but the defective job the BLM did on these 4 grazing allotments provoked a complete victory for WWP and an strong rebuke to the manager of the BLM’s Challis Field Office, David Rosenkrance. Rosenkrance has been criticized for years for running an incestuous, good old boy operation in this beautiful, if degraded, potentially terrific  wildlife area. Fortunately last week was the end date for Rosenkrance in Idaho.  He has been moved off to the BLM in Colorado.

Judge Lodge ruled that all three of the plaintiff”s claims were valid: that BLM violated the law by not analyzing the impacts to endangered bull trout, by refusing to consider a no- or low- grazing alternative when evaluating the impacts, and by failing to study the cumulative impacts of grazing in the area.

I understand there are similar appeals out there that will succeed because of this decision.

Here is a link to decision at the Advocates for the West web site.

The high Pahsimeroi Mtns from the east (Pahsimeroi Valley). BLM Grouse Creek Allotment. Photo copyright Ralph Maughan

Here is an interactive Google Map of the 4 grazing allotments (created by Western Watersheds Project).

Update. An AP story just came out on the decision. Judge rules against BLM on Idaho grazing permits. By Keith Ridler. Jan. 10, 2011 By The Associated Press

Goldfish invade Eastern Oregon trout lake

Lake at the base of Steens Mountain to be poisoned and restocked with trout-

Mann Lake Lahontan cutthroat © Ken Cole

Goldfish invade Eastern Oregon trout lake. Associated Press

Ravalli County jury finds Georgia men guilty of abusing horses on wilderness trip

Here is the final outcome of the trial we posted about — the one on the Georgia father and son who left a dying horse and abused others in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

Ravalli County jury finds Georgia men guilty of abusing horses on wilderness trip. Missoulian.

They were convicted.

Feds Propose Expanding Bush’s Bull Trout Habitat

This is the second good Administration wildlife decision in recent days-

Bull Trout © Ken Cole

The other one is the protection of the jaguar.

Feds Propose Expanding Bush’s Bull Trout Habitat. Fish and Wildlife proposes another reversal of Bush policy, this time on bull trout habitat. By Jeff Bernard. AP Environmental Writer

Victory for Western Watersheds Project on cutthoat trout

Western Watersheds Project wins appeal in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest overturning a grazing decision for the Franklin Basin Allotment in northern Utah-

Over the years the popular Franklin Basin area of the Cache National Forest in Bear River Range just south of the Idaho border has been increasingly pummeled by cattle and sheep. One result has been a serious decline in the Bonneville cutthroat trout.
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Bonneville Cutthroat © Ken Cole

Dr. John Carter, Utah WWP Director writes:

Friends,

The Franklin Basin Allotment covers over 20,000 acres in the Bear River Range and on the Logan River, a critical Bonneville cutthroat trout fishery in northern Utah. The Bear River Range is the most critical wildlife corridor connecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Uintas and southern Rockies.

The Bear River Range in Idaho and Utah is heavily grazed by livestock, has extremely high road density, and is overrun with dirt bikes and ATVs during the summer and snowmobiles during the winter. Cattle and sheep dominate the habitat, removing forage that would support thousands of deer or elk and many more sage grouse and other forms of wildlife.  Plant communities such as aspen, sagebrush and conifer are dysfunctional, having lost much of their native flora with undesirable species remaining.  Erosion is severe due to the loss of ground covering vegetation.

The Decision by the Forest Service continued unchanged the current stocking rate of 607 cattle from June until October each year and does little to restore the admittedly degraded conditions even though their own data shows the current stocking rate is 6 times what can be supported by the available forage. [boldface mine. RM] The Forest Fishery Biologist report recognizes that Bonneville cutthroat trout populations are declining and admits that the proposal will not improve their habitat.

The WWP Utah Office filed an appeal of this decision.   We were joined by our partners in the Utah Environmental Congress and Wild Utah Project.

The decision by the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest Supervisor remands the decision back to the Logan Ranger District to address improving the unsatisfactory conditions that they admit exists on the allotment.   We will continue to press the Forest Service to do an objective job.

After a century, trout have returned to Silver Bow Creek, Montana

Formerly polluted creek near Butte, Montana now has trout-

Few creeks were as polluted by mining as Silver Bow Creek near Butte, but after about a century trout, some as big as 18 inches are back.

Associated Press story. After a century, trout return to Silver Bow Creek, Montana

Study: Climate change will endanger trout.

“. . . fish die-offs and fishing closures in Yellowstone and Montana as a probable sign that global warming is already affecting trout populations”

This is from today’s Jackson Hole News and Guide. Study: Climate change will endanger trout. By Corey Hatch.