Trespass cattle in a northern New Mexico national preserve are the subject of environmentalists’ ire again.
Environmental groups are prodding the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take action against wandering cattle in northern New Mexico’s Valles Caldera National Preserve. Last October, the Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians filed a notice of intent to sue the federal agencies for trespass livestock in the national preserve.
“Livestock authorized to graze on Forest Service grazing allotments surrounding the Preserve frequently trespass into Park Service managed lands, harming habitat for native wildlife, including federally protected endangered species,” the groups said in a news release.
Following the notice of intent to sue, last December the agencies responded by outlining plans to address trespass livestock and monitor damage to natural resources. As part of the plans, the environmental groups agreed to monitor, record and report trespass livestock to the land managers.
Now, the groups contend the federal agencies have failed to follow their end of the agreement.
“By allowing the continued destruction of headwater streams, the agencies have lost sight of the issue at hand and are failing in their public duty to protect fragile natural resource,” said Madeleine Carey, Southwest conservation manager for WildEarth Guardians. “Due to their inability to coordinate and cooperate, trespass livestock continue to damage waters that should be protected because they are on Park Service land.”
The groups claim the federal agencies have failed to coordinate on fence building or hold ranchers accountable for damage caused by trespass livestock.
In last year’s notice, the groups contended that livestock from nearby allotments entering the preserve has been a “well-known and well-documented issue since at least 2017.” The groups alleged that in 2022 there were at least 130 head in the national preserve.
The environmentalists claim to have documented nearly 1,000 head of trespass cattle, in addition to the NPS separately documenting cattle and natural resources impacts. The groups cited NPS’ findings that the cattle each spent an average of five days on the preserve, amounting to 1,855 “cow days” on the preserve from April to October.
“The cattle tend to congregate in riparian areas and wet meadows where they trample vegetation, cause stream bank collapse, and pollute otherwise pristine waters,” the groups claimed.
They concluded: “If the Park Service and the Forest Service can’t agree on who should build and maintain the fence, we need the Forest Service to hold the permittees accountable for letting their cows damage habitat for these imperiled species. We are tired of the foot-dragging. Ultimately, it is the rancher’s responsibility to make sure their cows stay on the allotments and out of the Preserve.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
