Western Watersheds Project has established itself as an
"interested public" on hundreds of grazing allotments on Bureau of Land
Management lands in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, and California amounting to over
22,000,000 acres. With this legal status under the new BLM regulations in effect since
August 1995, WWP is in a position to protest and appeal all decisions on these BLM allotments, across Forest Service allotments, and other land use agencies
which do not adequately take into account recreational, hunting, fishing, wildlife,
watershed, and water quality values.
Interested Public is a legal term in the BLM
regulations which means any person or organization which has expressed an interest in
writing in being kept informed about the management of one or more grazing
allotments on BLM lands. The BLM is obligated to consult "interested
publics" before issuing any grazing decision."Interested publics"
can also protest and appeal BLM grazing decisions to the Office of Hearings
and Appeals of the Interior Department. WWP is currently an "interested public"
on over 1000 allotments in 5 states.
WWP's scope of influence assures the agility and readiness necessasry to promote recreational, hunting, fishing, wildlife,
watershed, and water quality values across the west.
As we grow, WWP will be initiating water quality
monitoring on streams across this region, as well as monitoring of compliance with grazing
management plans where they exist.
When our data shows failure to meet water quality
standards or existing management requirements, we will bring it to the attention of
the agency responsible; and if they choose not to act, we will not hesitate to take legal
action, if possible, to change their minds.
In addition, WWP is employing monitors to photograph
and document non-compliance with management plans on selected grazing allotments 5 states.
Wish us good luck!
Current updates and archived reports of our findings
are available in the Reports Archive.
