Bureau of Land Management faulted by judge over Oregon grazing rules

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) violated federal land management laws by allowing livestock grazing in certain research areas designated for sage grouse habitat studies in Eastern Oregon.

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon found that the BLM failed to analyze how grazing would impact these habitats and violated the National Environmental Policy Act by altering management definitions for research natural areas. Specifically, the agency removed the requirement for these areas to be “undisturbed,” replacing it with a standard of “relatively unaltered plant communities,” and failed to provide a public comment period for these changes.

As a remedy, the judge ordered the BLM to reopen the public comment period and provide a more thorough explanation for its management shifts. The court also mandated that the agency attempt to prevent livestock from entering areas where grazing is prohibited while the legal shortcomings are addressed.