The American Farm Bureau Federation together with the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have petitioned the court to stop the federal use of land management to exclude millions of acres from grazing.  Currently these lands are being used for only one purpose, to provided habitats for the greater sage grouse, despite laws mandating a land management plan involve multiple uses.

According to the Farm Bureau, BLM and the Forest Service violated key laws directing how the federal government must manage federal lands and the process by which land management plans are promulgated.

“Sage grouse numbers are up 63 percent over the last two years largely due to local conservation efforts, yet the BLM and the Forest Service are refusing to promote multiple uses of these lands as the law requires,” AFBF General Counsel Ellen Steen said. “Ranchers depend on access to federal lands and the revised land use plans will have a devastating impact on these rural communities.”

Farm Bureau and their allies filed a brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on March 8.  The brief supports a current lawsuit filed by Idaho Governor Butch Otter which challenges the management plans issued in November of 2015.  Other states have filed similar lawsuits where they apply within their boarders.

The Fish & Wildlife Service has decided that the sage grouse is no longer in need of protection as an endangered species because of the protection provided under this land management plan.  While the groups agree that the sage grouse does not require that level of protection, the new land management requirements are actually more onerous than the Endangered Specials Act.