To minimize that risk, regulations in the past gave Bureau of Land Management officers authority to step in and quickly assess potential damage and, if necessary, to take action to uphold the standards for protecting rangeland. Public comments were solicited on grazing decisions that affected these lands that are owned by the taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the federal BLM has changed the rules, limiting public comment to grazing plans and reports; those who ostensibly own the land - the public - will not be allowed to question decisions that profoundly affect the land. Under the new regulations, local BLM officers must make detailed analyses before they can do anything to prevent or correct the effects of overgrazing on land, water sources and wildlife.
A BLM spokeswoman in Utah was frank in admitting that the agency changed the rules, not to better do its job of protecting public lands, but in order to improve the BLM's relationships with ranchers, a relationship that had been soured by the Clinton-era regulations. The changes apparently have had the desired effect; ranchers are happy for the reduction in what they see as unnecessary red tape governing their operations on public rangeland.
Under the old rules, they balked at waiting for public comment before they could make changes in how they run livestock on federal land and chafed at the former regulations that allowed federal officials to order changes. Now those irritants have been reduced.
Unfortunately, less oversight of grazing operations could degrade wildlife and water quality over time. A government biologist and a hydrologist predicted the new rules would have that effect, but their views were erased from the text of the new regulations. Other scientists disagreed with them, says the BLM.
The new rules do not change the standards set for grazing, only the ways in which the standards are enforced. It is a subtle shift that favors the ranching industry and may make it harder for federal officials to protect natural resources on these lands that are owned by all Americans.
The BLM should not give overriding priority to placating irritated ranchers. Rather, the agency's first concern should be to effectively manage and protect our public lands.
