Wildlife Absent
Forest Service Seeks Comment on Wapiti Grazing Allotment
By David Nolt, 3-10-08
The Forest Service is seeking comment on a revision of the Wapiti Grazing Allotment located in the Taylor Fork drainage west of Yellowstone National Park. The allotment comprises 7,690 acres of Gallatin National Forest land and has been host to cattle grazing since 1967 and sheep grazing since 1920.
The intent of the revision is to “improve rangeland and riparian conditions over the long-term, while providing domestic livestock grazing,” according to Hebgen Lake District Ranger Bill Queen.
Despite the heavy presence of wildlife in the area, wildlife forage is not factored into the proposed plan. Bison, which are managed by the Department of Livestock and other Interagency Bison Management Plan agencies, will also specifically not be considered in the plan.
After the environmental analysis is considered the public will have one more chance to comment on the proposed action and alternatives. Click here to locate the scoping letter (at the bottom of the page under “Recent News.” The public comment period ends Friday, March 14, 2008.
[End of article]That the Gallatin National Forest intends not to explicitly allocate forage between wildlife and livestock on the Taylor Fork Wapiti Allotment is a fine example of how the Forest is catering to livestock interests.
Wildlife are using forage on the allotment as well as livestock, but to hold both to what the Forest claims to be the general 40-50% limit of total forage utilization, it would have to limit livestock usage by as much as half to account for what wildlife use.
So what we'll get instead is deliberate, intentional overgrazing--the key signature of the livestock industry.
There may be a lawsuit over this issue.