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Show BLAA adopts new grazing policy The Bureau of Land Management has adopted a new policy for administering livestock grazing on public rangelands under its jurisdiction according to BLM Director Robert Burford. The policy became effective March 5. Burford said that the new policy represents a national approach to rangeland management that allows management decisions to be made by District and Area Managers closest to the resource area. Burford said that in reaching final decisions that affect grazing use, managers will be expected to consult with individual operators, state and local agencies, other public land users'and the general public. In reaching decisions, BLM field managers will consider the conditions of the range, its production potential, resource-use conflicts, the present management system and the opportunity opportuni-ty for positive economic return on investments. in-vestments. Under the new policy, sufficient information infor-mation will be collected to enable the manager to identify current uses, the production potential and the condition of each grazing allotment. This information infor-mation will be used to help determine management priorities for the allocation alloca-tion of funds and work effort. The new management policy also requires re-quires BLM field managers to monitor the results of various mangement activities ac-tivities to determine their effectiveness, effec-tiveness, detect changes in resource condition or use, help resolve issues and conllicts and protect resource values. According to the category of individual grazing allotments, grazing decisions would be issued within 9 to 17 months after conclusion of the comment period following the publication of the final EIS. BLM is required by a U.S. District Court to prepare 144 site specific EIS's concerning livestock grazing use of public lands by 1!!8. Fifty statements are now complete. Burford said that the new policy meets all requirements of law and of Departmental grazing regulations. The policy was first formally proposed on July Hi, and copies sent to representatives of western universities and colleges, stale and local agencies and other interested parties. The final statement reflects comments from all sources Copies of the filial policy statement are available from the Director 2',;0), Bureau of Land Management. Washington. D.C. 2024(1 and from stale and local BLM offices. |