The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has renewed four livestock grazing leases partially located in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) in Sierra Vista, AZ, over the objections of environmental groups, who had previously filed a lawsuit to stop grazing in the area.
On Dec. 21, 2022, Colleen Dingman, BLM Tucson field manager, issued a finding of no significant impact, which included renewing grazing permits and integrated vegetation management (IVM) treatments to address areas on SPRNCA allotments not meeting Arizona Land Health Standards.
The allotments—Babocomari, Brunckow Hill, Three Brothers and Lucky Hills allotments—encompass 51,514 acres of BLM, Arizona State Trust and private lands. BLM is responsible for managing 15,992 acres, of which 6,903 acres are located inside the SPRNCA, and would allow for the grazing of 180 head on all four allotments.
The SPRNCA was created in 1988 to conserve and protect wildlife and cultural resources. The area encompasses 55,900 acres and the Babocomari and San Pedro rivers run through the conservation area. The area affected by the environmental assessment’s (EA) selected alternative includes designated critical habitat for the Huachuca water umbel, western yellow-billed cuckoo, and southwestern willow flycatcher, which are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Under the selected alternative of the EA, BLM will take an adaptive management approach of monitoring the perennial grass foliar cover to determine the animal unit months (AUMs) for grazing allowed. Until the grass cover meets Arizona Land Health Standards, the AUMs will be reduced by 50%. Fencing will also be constructed on the allotments to keep cattle out of riparian areas. Some allotments include proposals for livestock water modifications if implementing the fences would eliminate a water source for livestock.
The proposed IVM treatments are intended to address areas on the SPRNCA allotments not meeting the state standards due to high shrub cover and low perennial grass cover. The IVM treatments will target shrub species such as creosote bush and whitethorn acacia. The treatments will include herbicide application, prescribed fire, seeding of native vegetation and erosion control treatments.
History
Shortly after the establishment of the conservation area, a 1989 San Pedro River Riparian Management Plan put a 15-year moratorium on livestock grazing, except for 6,521 acres that were acquired after the original designation. The plan committed BLM to analyze grazing in the SPRNCA.
In 2013, BLM issued a draft management plan and environmental impact statement increasing livestock grazing acreage to upland areas and away from cultural resources. In 2019, BLM revised the amount of grazing acreage down to 6,903 acres after receiving public comment and authorizing vegetation treatment on about 27,000 acres.
In 2020, the Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Tucson, AZ, for BLM’s failure to protect the area from grazing.
The BLM made a preliminary EA available for a 30-day public comment period from April 29-May 29, 2022. In August 2022, the environmental groups and BLM reached a settlement agreement on the lawsuit where the agency would document any decisions related to livestock grazing in the SPRNCA and comply with any applicable law. BLM would also consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare a biological opinion required under the ESA on listed species in the conservation area.
BLM would also complete and issue a final decision or decisions on the lease planning process within seven months, ensuring it meets conservation criteria, and seeks voluntary measures from lessees, including fencing on the allotment borders and a reduction in the number of months permitted to graze in the Babocomari allotment
Opposition
After Dingman’s decision, the groups called it contrary to the mandate by the court. They stated it was a “clear indication that protection of this important river ecosystem takes a backseat to the livestock industry.”
The groups’ press release states they have documented trespass livestock within the SPRNCA for over a decade and the damage the cattle have caused to riparian habitats.
“The Bureau’s action today puts at risk the values the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area was established to protect, including the ecology of the riparian area and the many plants and animals that rely on it,” said Sandy Bahr, director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter. “Allowing livestock grazing in the riparian area is contrary to recommendations from scientists and to the public interest and must not go unchallenged.”
Scientists sent a letter in 2018 to the BLM, stating ecosystems and riparian habitats would be jeopardized if livestock grazing were allowed to continue. The groups also assert BLM is aware of E. coli contamination in the portions of the rivers cattle are allowed to graze, “but is apparently unwilling to place public health and safety above the interests of the livestock industry.”
The groups state they will challenge the grazing decision and continue their efforts to stop grazing in the SPRNCA. The BLM opened a 15-day protest period, and after the protests are resolved, the decision becomes final and there will be a 30-day appeal period. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
