Court Rules Against BLM in Colorado Grazing Allotments

An administrative law judge in the Department of the Interior has ruled against the Bureau of Land Management for failing to properly assess the environmental impacts of renewing grazing permits across 24 allotments in the PonchaVilla area of Colorado’s San Luis Valley. These allotments cover a staggering 65,273 acres of public lands, including critical habitat for the Gunnison sage grouse, a bird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

 

The court found that the Bureau's decision to renew these grazing permits did not take the required “hard look” at how increased grazing could harm the environment. The judge highlighted that in some of the allotments, actual grazing use has been as low as 1% or even 0% of what’s currently permitted and of the future levels under the appealed decision. BLM failed to analyze and explain how these lands could handle more grazing without negative environmental impacts. 

 

With Gunnison sage grouse already facing threats from habitat degradation and cheatgrass invasion, it’s essential that public agencies act responsibly to safeguard the ecosystems that these birds depend on.