Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Why is the Park Service allowing cows to illegally graze in a New Mexico preserve?
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Monday, October 24, 2022
Valles Caldera contains critical habitat for the endangered Mexican spotted owl, Eric Brekke/BLM ([link removed])

Environmental groups say federal agencies need ([link removed]) to remove ([link removed]) about 160 cows that are illegally grazing ([link removed]) in Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico. The cattle, which come from nearby grazing allotments in Santa Fe National Forest, have been grazing in the preserve since 2017. At least three endangered species may be impacted by habitat disturbance caused by grazing, including the Jemez mountain salamander, the meadow jumping mouse, and the Mexican spotted owl. Grazing can also cause erosion on streambanks and pollute drinking water for downstream users. Anglers,
hunters, hikers, and mountain bikers who enjoy the preserve have complained ([link removed]) that the cattle interfere with their experience.

Advocacy groups recently issued a notice of intent to sue ([link removed]) the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act, alleging that the agencies have failed to protect endangered species from the impacts of the cattle. To protect the species in the preserve, agencies need to remove cows from the land and rebuild a damaged fence that is allowing the cows to enter. The fence is currently damaged from normal wear and tear, but also from intentional vandalism ([link removed]) by nearby ranchers.

“We worked for years with others to get the Valles Caldera into the National Park System because the Park Service has the highest standards of land protection of any federal agency,” Tom Ribe, executive director of Caldera Action, said in a press release ([link removed]) . “We trusted they would protect the Caldera from all sorts of possible damage. They closed the majority of the Preserve to cattle grazing but then looked the other way while cows flooded in across vandalized and damaged fences. We have no idea why the management doesn’t respond to this blatant trespass. It is not consistent with Park Service policies.”

According to Madeleine Carey ([link removed]) , the southwest conservation manager for WildEarth Guardians, federal agencies have two options to solve the illegal grazing issue, and they will likely need to do both. First, they should round up the cattle and hold them in pens at the owners’ expense. Then, they would need to prevent future vandalism by replacing the damaged fence with a pipe and cable fence that's harder to cut.
Quick hits


** County sheriff arrests USFS burn boss after prescribed fire
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High Country News ([link removed]) | Washington Post ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed])


** Idaho cobalt mine is a harbinger of what’s to come
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High Country News ([link removed])


** Large oil project asks to inject wastewater into Wyoming aquifer
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Groups ask federal agencies to address illegal grazing in Valles Caldera
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NM Political Report ([link removed]) | Santa Fe New Mexican ([link removed])


** What happens when the Pacific Northwest loses its snow?
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Opinion: Montana can learn from Colorado's newest national monument
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Bozeman Daily Chronicle ([link removed])


** How Biden can combat environmental racism and conserve land for future generations
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Accountable.US ([link removed])


** Western tribes march against uranium mill in southeast Utah
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The Journal ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” If Congress isn’t willing to get the job done to protect the public lands that fuel our economy and serve as the core backdrop as we raise our kids outside, then we should look at tools such as the Antiquities Act, used by Republican and Democrat administrations alike to do the right thing and ensure that we are leaving our nation better than we found it for generations to come.”
—Becky Edwards ([link removed]) , Executive Director of Mountain Mamas
Picture this


** @BryceCanyonNPS ([link removed])
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🌨️ The plateau received around 3 inches of snow last night, which arrived after a freezing evening rain. Roads are clear of snow, but ice exists throughout the park.

Please drive and walk carefully if you'll be enjoying this wintry beauty today.

NPS Photos/Peter Densmore

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