Officials push for changes to grazing rules for public lands

Cows chewing grass may look boring, but grazing has become a major driver of America's public lands management. Last week, Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., co-sponsored a bill that would double the length of grazing leases on federal land from 10 to 20 years. The week before, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., introduced the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, which guaranteed grazing access as a major component holding its coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and conservation groups together. And Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., sponsored Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, which made several changes to accommodate grazing leases in proposed wilderness and recreation areas. The Grazing Improvement Act of 2012 is needed, according to Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., because ranchers need protection from activists trying to block public-land grazing.  At the hearing, BLM Deputy Director Mike Pool acknowledged his agency was behind on about 4,200 grazing lease renewals nationwide.That didn't mollify either the BLM's Pool or Leslie Weldon, deputy chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Both testified in opposition to the bill as written. Pool said his agency couldn't support its automatic permit renewal provision without better assurances permittees were meeting the land-use standards. He also said the bill would limit public involvement in environmental reviews.
Weldon wondered how the bill's new appeals process would match the Forest Service's shift to an objection-based system...more