Table 3 in the Draft EA shows AUMs, grazing seasons and numbers of animals.
If 1,311 cattle are allowed in the Palomino Buttes Allotment for six months, 7,866 AUMs would be required.
If only 2,876 AUMs are authorized, the number of animals could not exceed 479.
If Weaver Lake can accommodate 335 cattle and eight horses on a five-month grazing season, 1,715 AUMs would be required.
If only 1,456 AUMs are available, the number of animals would be 291.
The Allotment Master Report suggests the AUMs are correct, or nearly so.
The Authorization Use Report indicates the grazing seasons are valid.
The headcounts need to be reviewed, a substantive comment on the EA, unless the ranchers have developed new breeds that gain weight with less food.
Curiously, the forage allocations that pit 64 wild horses against an equivalent 361 cow/calf pairs in a year-round grazing season have been sanctioned by an HMAP, the be-all/end-all for wild horses according to the advocates.
RELATED: Palomino Buttes Pest Control Plan Out for Public Review.
Western Horse Watchers Association 