The public lands ranching operations of Charles Kane, whose family was one of the original permittees on the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming, were dealt a major blow this fall when the U.S. Forest Service upheld a decision to cancel Kane Land and Livestock's grazing permit in the Tongue Ranger District.

Then, in an abrupt turnaround, the Forest Service reinstated grazing on the larger of Kane's allotments governed by the permit.

The agency had cancelled the Sheridan rancher's permit for overgrazing and other documented violations over the past three years.

In reversing its decision, the agency cited "a bureaucratic mistake." According to District Ranger Craig Yancey, regional range staff found that two allotments governed by one grazing permit must be treated separately for administrative purposes, which wasn't done in Kane's case.

"We began documenting Kane L&L's grazing practices in 2000," said David Beard, a supervisory range conservationist for the Bighorn NE "His operation was cut by 40 percent before the 2001 grazing season, and again before the 2002 season, for exceeding allowable use standards and other " violations.

On Jan. 29, 2003, Yancey issued a decision to cancel the Kane L&L permit. The ruling was appealed twice by Kane's lawyers before Stem issued a final decision on Aug. 26.

Kane's relationship with the Forest Service has long been contentious. Sources in Wyoming say he was instrumental in having Forest Service ecologist Michelle Girard removed from her job with the Bighorn NF after nearly eight years of service.