Appeal Denied In Cattle Grazing Dispute

To the dismay of Eastern Washington cattle ranchers, the Regional Forest Service Office denied an appeal on a decision to reduce the allotment of cows to graze a 20,000-acre parcel in Ferry County.

The decision to cut the number of cattle on the Tonata allotment from as many as 400 to just 90 head, came after the Forest Service decided against renewing a permit to graze a greater number of cattle.

Fearful that this may begin a wave of reductions of cattle grazing areas throughout the Colville National Forest, the Stevens County Cattlemen’s association had appealed the decision this summer. This week they learned of the denial.

“If they want to contest this further, they need to go through the court system and try to make the case that we’ve violated the law,” said Jim Parker, a planning forester in the Republic Ranger District of the Colville National Forest. “The administrative appeal is over with.”

Now that the Forest Service plan is in effect, only 90 head can be on the land unless improvements are made to the site, including fencing and the restoration of certain riparian areas. Then the Forest Service will allow a gradual increase of up to 348 cow/calf pairs, while gauging the impacts of the animals on the land.

This is good news for the Kettle Range Conservation Group, which is concerned that cattle damage the landscape and endanger fragile plant life along springs and rivers throughout the forest.

“It’s actually nice to see the Forest Service make some change in direction and try something new and innovative,” said Tim Coleman, director of the conservation group. “I think this is a good place to start … assessing whether or not impacts from grazing are in fact degrading the water areas.”

Cattle advocates disagree. The problem is that science is not key in this decision, said Tim Kunka, a representative of the Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association. “I think that’s where this agency is kind of going awry,” Kunka said. “It’s beginning to allow its work force to make decisions based on emotions and assumptions and not based on scientific data.”

Kunka, a former Forest Service employee and an advocate for using cattle to manage and support ecosystems, said the Forest Service passed by an option that would allow for a greater number of cattle and good range management.

Livestock, if managed correctly, could help improve this allotment, he said. The Forest Service is mistaken in thinking that fewer cows are always better for the land, Kunka said. “Livestock can help ecosystems.”

With their appeal denied, the cattlemen’s association will decide whether to contest it in court, he said.

Even though the allotment is small, the issues are still important. Ranchers can’t afford to lose the right to graze their cattle on public lands, Kunka said. “The only reason some of them are hanging in there is the opportunity to have one of the Forest Service permits.”

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Hannelore Sudermann Staff writer