The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began its process of environmental review of a decision to graze livestock on state lands acquired to benefit wildlife.

The state resisted its legal obligation to undergo environmental analysis of the impact to wildlife and habitat of its decision to graze until Western Watersheds Project intervened. Now, the state agrees to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement but is apt to employ fuzzy math in its determination as to appropriate use.

Steve Herman, WWP advisory board member, as quoted in the article:

“I’m concerned about the areas that are hammered. It’s absolutely inappropriate to average these things,” he said. “It’s like removing a limb from a person and then measuring the other three limbs and dividing by four and finding that there are still four limbs — they’re all just a little shorter.

“This is not science. This is sleight of hand.”