—Group files litigation to stop grazing in Washington

Ranchers in Washington face many of the same challenges as cattlemen in other western states, which includes balancing the interests of the myriad groups and agencies who make decisions about public land use. Working with conservation groups and public agencies to establish environmentally-sound grazing practices is a necessary part of grazing on public lands in the 21st century, but sometimes it is more difficult than normal to reach an agreement which reasonably satisfies all parties involved.

Plans made by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to renew a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Washington Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) have drawn the ire of a group which seeks to end the pilot grazing program which is outlined in the MOU.

The Idaho-based Western Watersheds Project (WWP), along with Dr. Steven Herman of Yelm, WA, have filed a lawsuit in Washington state’s Thurston County Superior Court which challenges the MOU between the state agency and the cattlemen’s group. WWP alleges that the MOU has not been subject to procedures which offer public transparency about the grazing plan, and that no research has been conducted about the possible environmental effects of the grazing.

The plan in question is part of a pilot grazing program undertaken by WDFW on lands in Asotin County in two wildlife areas. Since it is a pilot program, no State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) review is necessary, but WWP’s suit seeks to stop the recently renewed MOU on the grounds that grazing is an environmentally damaging practice which is not being documented or overseen under the current MOU guidelines. WWP has also said they are concerned about pilot grazing programs like the one in Asotin County spreading to areas such as the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area in central Washington, which hasn’t been grazed in more than 25 years.

“Our point of contention is that the ecological damage which would occur because of the grazing is simply not worth just unfairly giving away this grazing to a few ranchers,” says Katie Fite, biodiversity director for WWP. “We’re challenging the MOU because the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is ignoring all the science which keeps saying that grazing is highly destructive to these ecosystems and habitats.”

Fite claims there are political reasons for the grazing which is currently happening under the MOU, and that WWP and other interest groups have been blocked from being involved in the decision making process.

“They’re not considering the commitments they’ve made to the other groups involved,” said Fite. “It’s all very odd, because we can’t get any information from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or anyone else about what they’re doing out there. It really boils down to the governor trying to buy votes with these cattlemen who probably aren’t going to vote for her anyway.”

While Fite and others associated with WWP believe grazing to be damaging to the sage-steppe ecosystems found in the disputed areas, state wildlife biologists tend to disagree, and support the pilot program as a way to improve the health of the range while keeping elk and deer off of private property.

WCA President Jack Field says it’s important to see both sides of the issue and not get caught up in WWP’s allegations.

“WWP believes the state has violated SEPA, but the MOU under which we conduct the pilot grazing program doesn’t require one,” said Field. “We also have sound science which shows the benefits properly-managed grazing can have in these areas. WCA entered into the MOU to manage grazing in a way which would improve wildlife habitat, not harm it.”

Field says WWP is venturing into uncharted territory by challenging an MOU, and is unsure of what they can hope to accomplish.

“They’re trying to raise issues with this MOU, but nobody can remember this kind of threat or concern over lawsuits,” Field noted. “WDFW enters into MOU’s all the time; they’re very common.”

It’s also common to become confused with the issue, Field says, because the dispute involves different areas and different time periods.

“In Asotin County, we’re on the third season of the grazing program at Pinther Creek, and the second season in the Smoothing Iron area,” says Field. “The pilot program is for three years, but the MOU is only a two-year agreement. We had to get it renewed in order to continue with the program, but renewing the MOU doesn’t necessarily mean we will have the grazing program renewed.”

In an attempt to alleviate any concerns that WDFW or WCA is hiding or misinterpreting evidence of damage due to grazing, Field says they have asked researchers at Washington State University (WSU) to begin assessing the project and come to their own conclusions.

“We’re starting a monitoring program through WSU, because neither Washington Cattlemen’s nor the [wildlife] department want any appearance of a biased opinion,” said Field. “By having a third party come in and really look at what’s going on, we can show that our true interests lie in doing what’s best for everyone involved, not just the cattlemen. At the end of the three-year program, they will determine what kind of impact the grazing had and, hopefully, it will show that it was a positive one.”

Field explained that the project’s goals are to create a win-win situation for the ranchers, the wildlife and the local communities.

“We really do want to make positive impacts, and it’s been our desire to have an adaptive management plan that can be flexible enough to work for the environment instead of against it,” stated Field. “We’ve had some of our staunchest opponents, such as the Audubon Society, become our biggest supporters of the Coordinated Resource Management plan we have going on the Whiskey Dick area, and it’s something we think we could get to carry over into the other grazing areas like Asotin.”

“It’s a great and amazing thing to see how well everyone can get involved when they really look at the science and are willing to negotiate,” he continued. “We want to give everyone the opportunity to air their concerns, and don’t want anyone to become disenfranchised with the process.”

Field mentioned that WCA and WDFW will be discovering more about the lawsuit filed by WWP as time goes along but that he hopes Washington’s cattlemen will have an opportunity to graze the public lands, not just for themselves, but for public benefit.