Redband Trout Lawsuit Filed
Idaho Watersheds Project is the lead group in the filing of a
lawsuit
with the legal help of the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies Boise
office against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force the listing
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of the Desert redband trout in
the Snake River watershed above Brownlee Dam. IWP had petitioned to
list the desert redband in 1995; however, that petition was denied
because the Fish and Wildlife Service argued that the redband trout was
genetically identical to anadromous steelhead trout in the Snake River
watershed and therefore did not warrant listing as a distinct
population segment. In 1997 The National Marine Fisheries Service
listed Snake River Steelhead as threatened under the ESA and
recommended that redband trout be included in the listing as an
isolated gene pool population of the species which could contribute to
the recovery of the species. The Fish and Wildlife Service argued,
during comments taken during the steelhead listing process, that desert
redband in the Snake River should not be included in the listing
because there is no evidence that redband trout are genetically
identical to anadromous steelhead trout or that there is evidence that
they are imperiled or at risk for extinction. IWP lawsuit on which it
is joined by the Oregon Natural Desert Association and the Committee
for Idaho's High Desert argues, among other things, that the actions of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was arbitrary and capricious and in
violation of law.
Pahsimeroi Valley BLM Fencing Appealed
IWP filed an administrative appeal and a petition for stay to block
the
construction of dozens of miles of fencing in Idaho's Pahsimeroi Valley
on BLM lands including several areas within Wilderness Study Areas. The
fences are proposed in order for the BLM to maintain the same number of
livestock on allotments which contain critical habitat for threatened
chinook salmon and bull trout and for petitioned westslope cutthroat
trout. A far less expensive and appropriate decision is to radically
lower the numbers of livestock on the severely abused Upper Pahsimeroi,
Dry Creek, Pines-Elkhorn and Burnt Creek Allotments.
Pleasantview Allotment Makes Front Page
Because of the successful work of IWP grazing monitor, Jackie
Maughan,
the Pocatello daily The Idaho State Journal ran a front page article
about grazing changes on the 65,000 acre Pleasantview Allotment in the
Malad Resource Area BLM near Holbrooke, Idaho. Two creeks on the
allotment, Wood Canyon Creek and Sheep Creek are degraded by cattle
overgrazing. The BLM is agonizing about how to protect these public
resources.
Forest Service District Ranger Cited for Overgrazing
In an unusual pas de deux Leadore District (Salmon National Forest)
Ranger Dick Ward was cited in a show-cause letter this year by Burley
District (Sawtooth National Forest) Ranger Pete Peterson for
overgrazing in 1997 on the Elba Allotment south of Burley, Idaho along
with 14 other permittees. As a result, two units of the allotment are
closed to grazing by livestock this year. Ranger Ward represents a rare
breed of Forest Ranger who administers public land grazing permittees
while being one himself. IWP has raised the issue of an apparent
conflict of interest in his case, but the the Regional Forester, Jack
Blackwell in Ogden, says there is no conflict if the ranger's personal
grazing permit is in another District!
IWP President Jon Marvel gets to slam a
Million Dollar grazing buy-out
on national TV
NBC News with Tom Brokaw ran a segment of its "Fleecing of
America" in
early July which included IWP president, Jon Marvel, commenting on the
1.2 million dollar pay-off of public land rancher, Bert Brackett, for a
proposed Air Force Bombing Range in Owyhee County Idaho at Juniper
Draw. Brackett, who has contributed about $3000. to the Idaho
Republican party or its candidates in the last 8 years will be paid up
to 1.2 million dollars for his "lost" grazing "rights" and then the
Air
Force will lease them back to him. The subject was also carried the
same night on ABC's evening news with Peter Jennings with excellent
commentary by former BLM Director, Jim Baca. One mordant Idaho
editorialist, Marty Trilhaase of the Idaho Falls Post-Register,
commented that a return of $1.2 million on a $3,000. investment at the
"Bank of Dirk and Larry" was a "pretty good" investment by local
standards. Brackett seems to be outdoing even Hillary Clinton's beef
futures gate!
Great Editorial in the Lewiston Morning Tribune
Jim Fisher, the perceptive and humerous editorial writer for the
Lewiston, Idaho Morning Tribune, editorialized on July 12 that this
year the Idaho voters will have the opportunity to decide for
themselves who gets to apply and compete for Idaho school endowment
grazing leases by voting out the current Land Board members. He was
generous enough to mention IWP in his comments.
Land Board Denies yet Another IWP Grazing Lease Application
The Idaho Land Board voted unanimously at their regular July meeting
to
deny the qualified status of IWP and Payette Forest Watch in their 1997
joint application for a 10,000 acre grazing lease on school trust lands
in Valley County including lands near Big Payette Lake and on the banks
of Little Payette Lake. The Board decided IWP and PFW's "grazing"
management plan to graze one to five goats, sheep or llamas for 5 days
was not a "serious" proposal ! Attorney-General Al Lance commented that
maybe the proposal by the current leaseholder, Soulen Livestock of
Weiser, Idaho, was inadequate too, because he only trailed his sheep
across the lease in the spring and fall. Probably not enough abuse for
the Attorney-General's taste!
IWP sends out dollar for dollar match fundraising appeal
IWP has recently been offered a generous matching grant
from two
members. One member will match every contribution to IWP dollar for
dollar up to $5,000 for all contributions received by August 15, 1998.
The second member will match all contributions dollar for dollar up to
an additional $5,000. in that same time frame. This could result in up
to a $20,000. boost to IWP's war chest ! Please consider
supporting this dollar match opportunity with whatever generous
contribution you can afford. All contributions over $50 will receive
an IWP billboards poster in brilliant color as a token of thanks.
Remember that all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest
extent of the law because of IWP's 501(c)3 status with the I.R.S. IWP's
mailing address is P.O. Box 1602, Hailey, Idaho 83333.