Forest Service in closed door discussions with anti-grazing activists, but deny grazing permittees the right to participate

U.S. Forest Service officials are slated to spend two days behind closed doors this week in settlement discussions with anti-grazing activists. Other parties to the lawsuit over the reauthorization of grazing permits, including the grazing permittees whose allotments are at issue, have been denied the right to participate in the talks, according to three sources affiliated with the case. The multi-state lawsuit was filed in federal court in Idaho by anti-grazing activists Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, Utah Environmental Congress, and Grand Canyon Trust. These groups challenge the Forest Service use of "categorical exclusions" (CEs) to reauthorize grazing permits instead of going through a much more detailed and time consuming environmental analysis process for each permit (through creation of either Environmental Assessments or Environmental Impact Statements). The use of CEs has been authorized by Congress, but these groups allege that the Forest Service is using CEs improperly, and that extensive analysis should be done on grazing permits since livestock grazing "causes so many adverse environmental impacts." It’s worth noting that several of these groups have declared their intention to rid public lands of livestock, and use the environmental planning process and litigation in attempt to drive permittees from public lands. Intervening in this case are Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, Public Lands Council, Peter R. Arambel, Wyoming County Commissioners Association, and the State of Wyoming. This case challenges the use of CEs to authorize grazing on national forests in Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah...more