Final environmental impact analysis issued for renewal of 25 grazing permits in BLM Owyhee Field Office
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today published the final environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the impacts of renewing 25 livestock grazing permits on allotments in the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow Creek watersheds in western Owyhee County. The agency will issue Proposed Decisions for the permit renewals on November 8th, to allow the 30-day EIS availability period and the 15-day decision protest period to close simultaneously on November 25th.“The analysis in the EIS is based on resource objectives in the resource management plan for the area and on the goal of meeting Idaho Rangeland Health Standards," said BLM Owyhee field manager Loretta Chandler. “We chose management actions that allow us to meet those objectives."The Final EIS includes details about each alternative and the actions chosen for each allotment. The document is available online. The proposed decisions will also be published at this website.Once the BLM has issued proposed decisions, permit applicants and interested members of the public may protest the proposed decisions in person or in writing to Chandler, at the Owyhee Field Office, 20 First Avenue West, Marsing, ID 83639. Protests received within the protest period will be considered and resolved before final decisions are issued.The BLM is analyzing the environmental impacts of renewing grazing permits on the allotments as called for in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 25 permits are among a group of 68 for which the BLM is completing NEPA analysis by the end of the year to meet the terms of a 2008 settlement agreement approved by the U.S. District Court for Idaho.The potential impacts of renewing permits for other allotments are being analyzed in less detailed environmental assessments (EAs), but the BLM determined that an EIS was necessary for this group of permit applications due to potentially significant impacts to bighorn sheep populations in the area and because several of the allotments overlap priority habitat for greater sage-grouse.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.