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Show n Resources ower projects, part 2 declined to name them, and been unable to extablisher ny are in the West. Dubrow of National Rural Cooperative Association told WRW on Oct. 14, "The ntalists are always pushing o, then they find ways and oppose such projects." This professionals in the Western er Administration (WAPA), rmy Corps of Engineers, and and Power Resources Ser-e Ser-e Interior Department were that no major new federal vere recommended at the ise briefing. NINOUINCKS MOW RULE- " KING ON PUBLIC )OMAIiN GRAZING lington ( WRW) The Bureau anagement (BLM) on Oct. 15 I proposed new rules for .razing adjustments either or increases on the public ands it administers. The -ule-making appeared on the ieral Register, and the public period will end on Dec. 1. rector Frank Gregg said the will go into effect early next ailed the proposals "one of important in the recent-of recent-of public rangeland nt." BLM manages grazing lion acres of public domain roposed regs are designed to ; states, wildlife and con-groups con-groups early and more ien the carrying capacity of ; to be changed, and to try to cooperation out of live-it live-it attempting to eliminate t "adversary relationship" between the graziers and BLM. Four changes in present regulations are proposed: 1. Up to 17 months of consultation will take place between BLM and all affected af-fected parties, including grazing permittees and lessees, state land managers and wildlife officials, and local conservation and wildlife groups, to discuss the changes in livestock use on the public domain lands being considered before a decision on the carrying capacity of the range is made. 2. Decisions on adjustments in carrying capacity will be made over a five-year period. Now they are made over a three-year period. 3. The proposed regs provide that adjustments in range carrying capacity may be completed in less than five years if all the affected interests agree to a shorter timetable, if a reduction is needed to "sustain resources productivity and prevent significant and long-term resource damage" to the range, and if the adjustment ad-justment is 15 percent or less. 4. BLM will have authority to amend the original decision if monitoring indicates rangeland conditions are not improving at the anticipated rate. But decisions based on monitoring will be implemented over a five-year period. At a briefing for the press on Oct. 15 1 key BLM officials themselves could not agree precisely who an "affected party" is, and Gregg diredted that an advisory be issued on the subject. There was also much discussion about monitoring at the briefing-what constitutes con-stitutes monitoring, who does it, and the methodology that BLM will use. This will become a major subject of discussion during the comment period. |