Administration Faces Suit Over Grazing Plans

The Center for Biological Diversity said it plans to sue the Trump administration over a new federal livestock grazing expansion.  The group filed notice Wednesday, arguing the Administration’s plan would harm endangered wildlife and open millions of acres of public land, including areas near Grand Canyon National Park, to cattle grazing.

According to the Center, the policy could allow grazing on up to 24 million acres of Forest Service and BLM land, using emergency authority to fast-track permits. 

We Don't Want Wildlife To Pay The Price

“Trump is bowing to the livestock industry’s destructive demands to turn our shared wilderness into discount feedlots. We’re taking action to make sure our nation’s most vulnerable wildlife don’t pay the price,” said Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center. “Grazing on America’s public lands harms cherished animals like grizzlies, wolves and steelhead salmon. This plan to let cattle trample over millions more acres of public lands completely ignores these imperiled species, and that’s illegal.”

The Center added the Administration failed to consult federal wildlife agencies, which may violate environmental law. 

In Wednesday's announcement, the Center said expanding grazing on federal public lands risks harm to ecologically important carnivores, like federally protected grizzly bears and wolves, which are too often killed because of conflicts with livestock. Cows also damage public lands and streams that provide habitat for imperiled fish and birds by trampling banks and streambeds, stripping vegetation to bare soil, blocking tree regeneration and polluting water with feces, urine, sediment and cattle carcasses. Livestock grazing degrades ecosystems across the West and is a top threat to animals and plants at risk of extinction.

Cows Damage Public Lands & Streams

“The federal grazing program is already a disaster for endangered species and the places they live,” said Zaccardi. “Expanding grazing across 24 million more acres will make that devastation even worse and likely drive more animals and plants to extinction.” 

The agencies named, which include the USDA, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Commerce, Forest Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, have 60 days to respond to Wednesday’s notice of intent to sue. 

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