U.S. Supreme Court Ends Bush-Era Grazing Regulations

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied consideration of an appeal by the Public Lands Council of previous federal court decisions overturning Bureau of land Management grazing regulations promulgated during the George W. Bush administration. The decision affects over 160 million acres of public land in 11 western states. The Public Lands Council, which represents livestock ranchers who use public lands, was an intervenor in successful litigation brought by Western Watersheds Project, an Idaho based conservation organization. On September 1, 2010 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the Idaho District Court's decision overturning the Bush era grazing regulations as violating the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act...more