The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is opening a review process on four allotments near Steens Mountain in Oregon, known for being previously grazed by Hammond Ranches. The review process will determine whether cattle grazing will be allowed for new applicants or prohibited entirely.
The agency will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Bridge Creek Area allotment management plans and will also solicit public comments, which will be accepted until Jan. 3. The EIS will analyze alternatives for livestock management and related activities on the 26,378 acre allotments near the town of Frenchglen, OR. The area is made up of four allotments: Hammond, Mud Creek, Hardie Summer and Hammond Fenced Federal Range allotments.
The alternatives will consider issuing 10-year grazing permits to up to three applicants and approval of four allotment management plans that outline seasonal grazing systems, grazing utilization thresholds, monitoring and range developments. Other potential actions will include raising the allowable forage use in the Hammond allotment to address higher production of crested wheatgrass seedings; authorizing temporary non-renewable forage use to reduce standing fine fuel biomass; and range developments’ installation, modification or removal.
The proposed range developments currently include about 8 miles of new fence construction and a similar amount of fence removal. Most modifications are to realign fencing along BLM public land and privately owned land. The entire four allotment area is also identified as habitat for greater sage-grouse.
There is no grazing preference to the allotments. The land has been largely ungrazed since 2014, when BLM chose not to renew the livestock grazing authorization to Hammond Ranches. The ranch appealed this decision, which was ultimately resolved by then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in 2019, who instructed BLM to reissue the grazing permit.
The issue then went to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, which issued an order partially granting and partially denying a request for preliminary injunction that allowed a limited amount of grazing to proceed in 2019. The court vacated the reissued permit and remanded the matter back to BLM.
In January of this year, a day before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, then-Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed a decision directing the BLM to issue a 10-year livestock grazing permit with allotment management plans and authorize the construction and removal of range improvements. Shortly after, in late February, the senior adviser to the secretary exercising the delegated authority of the assistant secretary for land and minerals management rescinded the decision. BLM was then directed to initiate a review and public scoping process.
The agency is now seeking input on issues and alternatives that should be addressed in the EIS, including livestock grazing management, sagebrush ecosystem health, sage grouse habitat, vegetation, fuels, water quality and others.
Conservation groups expressed their hope that grazing will be prohibited altogether after the EIS review.
“This should be a no-brainer for the BLM,” said Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Steens Mountain and its wildlife need to keep healing from decades of destructive cattle grazing, and the Hammonds should stay off public lands. If it’s a choice between rewarding the Hammonds for bad behavior or protecting the imperiled greater sage-grouse and fragile habitat, sage grouse should prevail.”
The Burns District will work with the Burns Paiute Tribe, along with agencies and other stakeholders, in the EIS process. To submit comments, visit eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013546/510, email BLM_OR_BU_BCA_AMP@blm.gov, fax to 541-573-4411 or mail to BCA, c/o Burns District BLM 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, OR 97738, Attention: Don Rotell. Comments must be submitted by Jan. 3.
BLM will also provide additional opportunities for public participation after the draft EIS is prepared. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
