Number: 1992-17
WHEREAS, the continuing degraded conditions of tens of million of acres of our western public rangelands and thousands of stream miles of riparian habitat as a consequence of abusive livestock grazing practices is evidence of the failure of current federal range management practices; and
WHEREAS, the goal of public rangeland management programs should be the establishment and maintenance of healthy range and riparian ecosystems;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 19-22, 1992, in Portland, Oregon, calls upon Congress to enact legislation to: (a) require the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and other federal public land management agencies to deny grazing permits on allotments which are in “declining trend” or less than satisfactory ecological condition; (b) require the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, and other federal public land management agencies to inventory all lands which are susceptible to damage from livestock grazing; (c) prohibit or restrict livestock grazing on areas upon which livestock grazing is not ecologically sustainable or which are better suited (as determined by independent scientists) for the dominant purposes of fish and wildlife habitat and/or recreational activities; (d) require allotment management plans to be developed for uses other than livestock grazing; (e) mandate that the BLM , U.S. Forest Service, and other federal land agencies achieve goals of having at least 75 percent of riparian areas on public lands in proper functioning condition by 1997; (f) redirect the state share of grazing fee receipts to state fish and wildlife management agencies for riparian management programs on federal public lands.