| OCR Text |
Show livestock Grazing Conforms to Rangeland Act of 1978 The Department of the Interior has amended its regulations for livestock grazing to conform to provisions of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978. The regulations apply to lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management outside Alaska. The amendments make significant changes in existing regulations concerning reductions in grazing preferences, conditions under which a permit or lease may be issued for less than 10 years, and inclusion of lands outside allotment boundaries in exchange-of-use agreements. As now amended, where it is necessary to reduce grazing use on an allotment, the difference between the livestock operator's grazing preference and the authorized use will be suspended, rather than canceled. Cancellation of grazing use has been of concern to many livestock operators who wanted assurances that they would benefit from cooperative efforts to improve the rangeland conditions. Suspension provides this assurance by granting the livestock operator an opportunity to share in any increased livestock forage production resulting from the improved condition of the rangeland. Under existing law, grazing permits or leases authorizing livestock use on the public lands are issued for a term of 10 years, with exceptions to this length of time made on a case-by-case basis. The adopted amendment specifies that the absence of a completed land-use plan shall not be the sole basis for issuing a grazing permit for a term of less than 10 years. The amendment concerning exchange-of-use agreements alters the present regulation that requires privately controlled lands offered in exchange of use for grazing on public lands be unfenced and intermingled with the public lands within the allotment being grazed. As amended, this regulation is privately expanded to permit similar agreements in certain situations where the privately controlled land lies outside the allotment to be grazed. This change is intended to accommodate those situations where there are existing agreements that should be continued or where such an arrangement would meet a specific management objective. Several sections 'of the proposed rulemaking that related to placing grazing decisions in full force and effect were deleted from the final rulemaking in light of the public controversy over, and recent legislative action affecting, the implementation of this policy. Alternative policies for implementing grazing use adjustments are being analyzed by the Department and public involvement will be in- vited. Any necessary changes to the grazing regulations will be published as proposed rulemaking in the "Federal Register." |
