The January 8 news release said there is a high level of interest in the project, probably because the former permittees were among Oregon’s most infamous ranchers.
Over the past ten years livestock grazing on the Bridge Creek allotments has been limited by legal action and political interference, as discussed in a 2021 article by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The case led to an armed standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016, which resulted in the death of an Arizona rancher who had joined the occupation.
A Notice of Recission, which ended a 2020 project aimed at grazing reauthorization, indicated that the BLM had apportioned forage within the Hammond, Hammond FFR, Mud Creek and Hardie Summer allotments and issued a ten-year grazing permit with allotment management plans to Hammond Ranches, Inc.
The decision was overturned and returned to the BLM for additional consideration, resulting in a new project.
The Draft EIS indicates that permitted grazing has not occurred since 2014 and the grazing preference has not been attached to a base property since the decision to not renew the permit.
The project description says the BLM will consider ten-year grazing permits for up to three applicants and approval of four management plans that outline seasonal grazing systems, grazing utilization thresholds, monitoring and range developments.
A virtual public meeting will be held on February 13 at 5 PM Pacific time.
Comments on the EIS will be accepted through February 21.
RELATED: Hammonds Lose Grazing Permit.
Western Horse Watchers Association 