A federal judge has approved an agreement between a pair of conservation groups and two federal agencies to restrict cattle grazing on the Verde River in Arizona. The latest agreement follows one made in mid-August to keep cattle off over 150 miles of banks in Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and New Mexico’s Gila National Forest.
The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon Society celebrated the recent decision, which ensures the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will protect over 140 miles of streamside habitat from cattle grazing.
Under the agreement, USFS will be required to monitor riparian areas, maintain and repair fencing and remove trespassing cattle. The agency will also look at ways to address invasive species and other conservation challenges against threatened species.
The Verde River and its tributaries flow through Arizona’s Prescott, Coconino and Tonto national forests, and the area in the agreement covers 22 grazing allotments. The groups said cattle grazing on the river has “taken an increasing toll on southwestern rivers” and resulted in federal protections for several species, such as garter snakes, cuckoos and leopard frogs.
“We’ve been trying to remove cows from the Verde River for decades to protect disappearing habitat for songbirds and other endangered wildlife,” said Mark Larson, Maricopa Audubon president. “This agreement should help. Cows have no place along desert streams.”
In 2019, the Center conducted surveys on the Verde River, which found “widespread, severe cattle damage—including manure and flattened streambanks.” In the fall of 2020, the Center sued USFS and USFWS, claiming the Endangered Species Act had been violated “by allowing cattle to trample the rivers and streams.” — Anna Miller,WLJ managing editor
