Grouse, Meadow, Rock, & Trail Creek grazing allotments
Current Status:
Inactive
Date Filed:
Jun 19, 2009
Case Title:
Western Watersheds Project v. David Rosenkrance and Bureau of Land Management
Staff attorney(s):
Laurie Rule
Client(s):
To Protect:
Bull Trout
Greater Sage Grouse
Pygmy Rabbit
Date won/settled:
January 5, 2011
Idaho
Case Information:
The Court ordered BLM to develop a new Environmental Assessment (EA) and new grazing decisions within one year or grazing cannot continue.
January 5, 2011 — Judge Lodge ruled in our favor on all three of our claims under the National Environmental Policy Act: that BLM failed to take a “hard look” at impacts to bull trout, an Endangered Species Act- protected species, failed to consider reasonable alternatives, and failed to study the cumulative impacts of grazing the areas. The Court ordered BLM to develop a new Environmental Assessment (EA) and new grazing decisions within one year or grazing cannot continue.
This case challenges BLM decisions allowing grazing and construction of numerous livestock watering troughs and fences in the Grouse Creek, Meadow Creek, Trail Creek, and Rock Creek allotments, located in the Pahsimeroi watershed of central Idaho.
This area is prime sage-grouse habitat, and the Pahsimeroi River within the Rock Creek allotment is home to endangered bull trout. Much of this habitat has been degraded by livestock. Yet BLM is now expanding the livestock watering and fencing system further into sage grouse areas — without assessing environmental impacts as required by NEPA.
