Grazing Appeal Blocks Implementation of Air Force Bombing Range in Idaho
In an interesting turn of events, the Acting Director of the BLM, Tom Fry, has filed a notice of appearance before an administrative law judge in Salt Lake City in order to ask that the judge expedite consideration of an appeal of a term grazing permit filed by Idaho Watersheds Project in 1997.
The Acting Director states in his memorandum to Judge James Heffernan: " Until this appeal is resolved, certain agreements required by the Juniper Butte Range Withdrawal Act are unlikely to be implemented. Without implementation of these agreements, the national defense purposes underlying the Act will at best be delayed and may be frustrated."
The reason IWP's appeal of Frank Bachman's grazing permit "may frustrate" the implementation of the bombing range is because the Withdrawal Act requires the Air Force to pay up to $1,000,000 to provide grazing on public lands to another rancher, Bert Brackett. Part of that money (about $300,000) is intended to go to Frank Bachman to compensate him for giving up (i.e.,. selling) part of his Clover Crossing Allotment to Brackett.
Tom Fry's memorandum goes on to state: " Brackett has been unwilling to take the Bachman grazing permit, however, so long as it is encumbered by the appeal by IWP. As a result Brackett has remained on the withdrawal lands (Juniper Draw Allotment), and the Air Force has been unable to use the lands for military purposes contemplated by the Act. If the appeal were resolved rapidly in the Government's favor, Brackett's move to the Bachman tract (sic) could be materially advanced and the public interest furthered."
This payoff of Rancher Brackett was featured on NBC Evening News with Tom Brokaw's Fleecing of America in July 1998 as a major taxpayer rip-off sponsored by then U.S. Senator Dirk Kempthorne. Perhaps IWP's appeal will result in the permanent delay of these "national defense purposes"!
IWP is ably represented in this matter by William Eddy of the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies" Boise office.