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| photo by G. Anderson, WWP |
Comments Needed
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area was set aside by Presidential Proclamation in 1988 to conserve, protect, and enhance the unique and fragile San Pedro River and the public lands along its banks. This was the first Riparian National Conservation Area ever designated, and it is truly a special and ecologically important place. Because of this designation, the Bureau of Land Management has a heightened duty to “protect the riparian areas and the aquatic, wildlife, archeological, paleontological, scientific, cultural, educational, and recreational resources of the public lands surrounding the San Pedro River in Cochise County.”
Unfortunately, the Bureau has failed to meet their burden in protecting this riparian desert treasure, and for decades has allowed livestock grazing to continue to damage wildlife habitats, the uplands, the riparian areas, and the river itself. Right now, the Bureau is proposing to issue 10-year grazing leases to a small group of ranchers who will be able to graze their cows at rock bottom prices (just $1.35 per cow-calf pair per month), while at the same time turning their backs on mountains of evidence clearly indicating that livestock do not belong on these conservation lands.
We need your help, to let the Bureau know that we expect them to faithfully do their job.
Urge the BLM to conserve, protect, and enhance the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area by eliminating livestock grazing from the entirety of the area.
You can send your comments to the BLM via email: blm_az_tfo_sprnca_rmp@blm.gov.
We’ve read through nearly 400 pages of documents and developed these talking points to get you started on your own letter to the agency:
The BLM must recognize that a proposal to authorize four 10-year leases in a Riparian National Conservation Area requires the full review and analysis of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), rather than the abbreviated analysis and timeframe for public comment allowed in an Environmental Analysis (EA).
The agency must analyze at least one alternative that eliminates livestock grazing from all portions of all allotments that fall within the boundaries of the San Pedro RNCA.
The public deserves to know how much the fencing, stock tanks, troughs, and other livestock infrastructure will cost, and how much money the ranchers will be required to pay for the privilege of grazing these publicly owned lands.
The agency must analyze the impacts on recreational users of their plan to put cows, fences, gates, and huge gap fences across the Babocomari River, as well impacts of livestock on educational and cultural resources.
The agency must develop a plan to address the ongoing and longstanding problem of cows trespassing into the San Pedro RNCA and must disclose how these new 10-year leases will exacerbate that problem.
Ask the agency to protect the Outstandingly Remarkable Values of the Babocomari and San Pedro Rivers and not to compromise the ability of these rivers to be designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
The agency must be held accountable for failing to protect public health by allowing livestock to contaminate the San Pedro and Babocomari Rivers with E. coli, violating Arizona’s clean water standards.
Finally, the agency needs to explain how allowing livestock in a national riparian conservation area during a period of extraordinary drought, and in light of climate change impacts to rivers and wildlife, meets the agency’s duty to conserve, protect, and enhance these lands.
The BLM will release an environmental analysis (EA) document for the next step in this process. Given that the Land Health Evaluations and scoping packet were almost 400 pages, we expect the EA will be huge, but no matter how much paperwork the BLM does, it is likely to again miss the mark on actually ensuring grazing conserves, protects, and enhances the special resources of the San Pedro Riparian NCA
If you have visited the San Pedro RNCA, you can send photos, stories, drawings, songs or poems about your visit in your comments and let BLM know how important these public lands are to you.
Thank you for taking the time to speak out for this precious place! For more information, contact Cyndi Tuell, cyndi@westernwatersheds.org
- WWP
More information:
BLM considers renewing cattle grazing along San Pedro River with new conditions
https://tucson.com/news/local/blm-considers-renewing-cattle-grazing-along-san-pedro-river-with-new-conditions/article_c9252d72-d37e-11eb-9edb-f765d9cc65cd.html?fbclid=IwAR3-GqiS89LyFX2YtXiIoAWl16XQ26DNYqzxYblOqLjbJ-7b_kKRH0UwA8M
