Groups sue over cattle grazing on Colville National Forest

A coalition of environmental groups are challenging grazing leases across the Colville National Forest, arguing that federal officials have been allowing cattle to graze in all the wrong places.

Filed in U.S. District Court by the Kettle Range Conservation Group, Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians, the suit argues that the 2019 plan governing the forest and are “leading to long-term damage to the forest ecosystem.”

The complaint argues the U.S. Forest Service ignored its own findings that much of the Colville forest’s 1.1 million acres was unsuitable for grazing and that overgrazing had caused damage, and instead has allowed grazing to continue as-is across the forest.

The groups say that violates environmental laws and causes harm for wildlife like wolves and other species.

Patrick Kelly, the Washington and Montana director for Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement that the impacts are “unacceptable” and that the Forest Service needs to “follow its own scientific analysis and reduce or eliminate livestock grazing from areas where it does not belong.”

Colville National Forest Supervisor Josh White did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Grazing allotments exist across the Colville forest, which covers large chunks of Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties. More than 700,000 acres of the forest allows grazing, according to the complaint, and that is split between a few dozen allotments.

A Forest Service analysis prepared during the revision of the Colville’s forest plan found that about a quarter of the forest was suitable for cattle grazing, according to the complaint.

The groups argue that despite that, the agency made no changes to its grazing program. They also argue that overgrazing has damaged streams and wetlands on the forest.

The suit casts a wide net, arguing that the practice harms species from fish to large predators.

The same groups sued the Colville National Forest over wolf killings related to its grazing allotments in 2020. That case was dismissed.