Speak for Wolves 2015: Wildlife management reform objective number 2

2. Remove Grazing From All Federal Public Lands

Grazing is the most ecologically damaging form of land use in the arid America West. Research has proven that non-native livestock is responsible for soil compaction, destruction of wetlands and riparian zones, a decrease in water retention and aquifer recharge, soil erosion, flooding, a net-loss of biodiversity and large amounts of methane gas.

Livestock grazing contributes to the spread of harmful invasive plant species, which greatly affects the West’s historic fire regime. To make matters worse, the American taxpayer heavily subsidizes destructive grazing practices every year to the tune of tens, if not, hundreds of millions of dollars.

At the very least, the federal grazing fee ($1.69 cow/calf pair) must be substantially raised to recoup administrative costs. Voluntary grazing retirement (grazing permits to be bought out by conservation groups) needs to be enabled on all federal public lands. Congress must stop using legislative riders to handicap the ability of federal land and wildlife agencies, and the public, to use our public land laws to asses the cumulative impacts of harmful grazing.

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