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Show What's The Real Goal? In an apparent effort to circumvent cir-cumvent Congress and the law of the land, disregard the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that grazing allotments cannot be bought and used for conservation conser-vation purposes, and by ignoring ignor-ing the county General Plan and comments and protests from local elected officials, it seems that the preservation organization, organiza-tion, The Grand Canyon Trust, in concert with the Bureau of Land Management, is still attempting to eliminate livestock live-stock grazing on allotments located on public lands in Kane and Garfield Counties in southern south-ern Utah. It also appears that numerous public process and grazing laws were violated by the Trust and by the Department of Interior staff in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process. Decision Records and Finding of No Significant Impact issued by Utah State BLM Director Sally Wisely, to accept the voluntary relinquishment relinquish-ment of livestock grazing by . changing the Paria and Escalante Management Framework plans are particularly particular-ly disturbing. This action certainly has "significant "sig-nificant impact" to area ranchers ranch-ers and all who must depend on the use of public land for economic eco-nomic stability in rural Utah. This action could set a devastating devastat-ing precedent in the elimination of multiple-use activities on public lands. All who enjoy visiting vis-iting public lands, hunting, hiking, hik-ing, etc., take note the economy econo-my and culture of county residents resi-dents are at stake. Multiple-use management of public lands throughout the West is Congressionally mandated and seems to have been disregarded in these decisions. Even though the Decision Records indicate future review and possible revision, the re-establishment re-establishment of livestock grazing graz-ing seems to be a remote possibility possi-bility based on past experience with reductions in the industry. These decisions are all about elimination of grazing on this portion of public lands. They are nothing more than a public relations rela-tions ploy by the BLM. This carefully crafted plan to buy-out grazing allotments by environmentalists started before and has nothing to do with the drought. It has everything to do with control of the local economy. econo-my. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Director David Hunsaker stated the following fol-lowing in a January 16, 2003 letter: "As is the case in all BLM land use planning decisions, periodic review, analysis and validation is required. The EIS will provide a comprehensive review of livestock grazing not only for the four allotments considered con-sidered in the subject Environmental Assessments, but for all allotments administered by GSENM. The EIS will also satisfy the environmental review requirements require-ments for grazing permit renewals. The EIS is scheduled for completion in December 2004. Following EIS completion, comple-tion, livestock grazing use in the allotments could remain unchanged, could cease or could be reduced." Apparently, Mr. Hunsaker and other BLM employees have not considered the cost to the taxpayers of this country by doing unnecessary EAs when a full EIS is planned for completion comple-tion next year. Could it be that they want to "administratively" change the law through the EA process so that all livestock grazing can be eliminated? Why couldn't the EIS call for an increase in livestock grazing instead of "remaining unchanged, cease or be reduced"? Perhaps in the EA process, the BLM should have had qualified range personnel write the EAs, listened to local ranchers and local elected officials offi-cials as mandated by law! Worth Brown, President Canyon Country Ranchers Association |