Drought panel told there’s forage on Nevada range

Northern Nevada ranchers told a panel studying ongoing regional drought on Wednesday that there's a bumper crop of grass on the open range, and they want to be allowed to turn more cattle out to graze on it. Accounts of rains in recent months bringing wildflowers to northern parts of the state surfaced during a Nevada Drought Forum hosted by the state Department of Agriculture in Sparks. Ranchers also aired complaints about federal land managers sticking to national drought plans instead of letting ranchers graze their full allotment of permitted cattle. "We're not drought-deniers," Eureka County natural resources manager Jake Tibbitts said. "A lot of old-timers and folks talk about abundant forage and nothing to drink for the cows." David Stix Jr., a Fernley rancher and president-elect of the Nevada Cattlemen's Association, said the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies move too slowly to adapt to changes in the weather. He said wildfires could end up claiming what cows don't eat. "No one would have predicted that we'd have the amount of rainfall we did," Stix conceded. But, "they won't let us go back and increase our numbers to permit limits to take care of the vegetation. Fires are probably going to consume that."...more 

Why doesn't BLM issue a temporary permit to increase grazing?  

Here's are some reasons:

° The higher-ups in BLM would disapprove

° Its safer (as in career) to stick with the national plan

° BLMers figure the eviros will sue and prevent the increase, so why do all the work?

Truth be told, the entire regulatory regime is not set up for short term decisions. There are too many environmental clearances and other hoops to run through.  Unfortunately, flexibility and reason are not built into the system.