Speak Up for Wolves on National Forests

With commercial livestock grazing permitted on over 102 million acres of the 193 million acres within National Forest System lands, the time has come for U.S. Forest Service grazing policy reform and for the agency to require wildlife coexistence policies on national forests to end the livestock industry’s war on wolves and other native wildlife. Join Guardians in telling the Forest Service that it’s time to adopt a mandate of wildlife coexistence.

Recipients

Regional Forester, Region 1 Leanne Marten
Regional Forester, Region 2 Brian Ferebee
Regional Forester, Region 3 Sandy Watts
Regional Forester, Region 4 Nora Rasure
Regional Forester, Region 5 Randy Moore
Regional Forester, Region 6 Glenn Casamassa
Forest Supervisor, Colville National Forest Rodney Smoldon

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Dear U.S. Forest Service,

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The U.S. Forest Service is required to manage national forests for the health of ecosystems and for the benefit of the wildlife that live there. Unfortunately, current forest management protocols fail to do so, as exemplified by the killing of 28 state-endangered wolves on just the Colville National Forest in Washington state since 2012.

The main cause of these wolf deaths is the Diamond M Ranch, a privately held cattle corporation permitted to graze on 78,000 acres of the Colville National Forest in northeastern Washington. Their allotment management plans are over 40 years old, and contain no consideration for the protection of federally-endangered species like Canada lynx, grizzly bear, and wolverine, or state-endangered wolves. Further, the plans have not been updated to address the well-known livestock conflicts, which is the number one cause of wolf mortality in the state.

And, unlike neighboring ranchers, Diamond M steadfastly refuses to mitigate these conflicts, and the Forest Service has failed to require them. There is a simple solution to this problem: requiring compliance with wildlife coexistence measures.

I want to see an ethic of coexistence on national forests and urge the U.S. Forest Service to adopt the following core reforms to your commercial livestock grazing program:

* Prohibit lethal predator control in specially designated areas on national forest system lands such as: Wilderness areas; proposed Wilderness areas; Natural Research Areas; Wild & Scenic River corridors; Inventoried Roadless Areas; delineated wildlife corridors and any other special management area where the protection of native wildlife need not yield to the select interests of private livestock producers;

* Adopt Forest Plans and Forest Plan amendments that include grazing management standards designed to reduce the risk of conflicts between native carnivores and domestic livestock;

* For all grazing term permits, allotment management plans, and annual grazing instructions for portions of the forest where carnivore-livestock conflicts have been a concern, or may become one, incorporate science-backed coexistence measures that state and federal agency wildlife experts recommend for avoiding and mitigating such conflicts.  For example:

-	Require permittees to remove livestock carcasses and sick or injured livestock on the allotments so as not to become attractants or targets;

-	Delay turnout until after mid-June if an active wolf den site is within 1 mile of an allotment unit, so deer will be birthing fawns and can provide an abundant and easy prey source for wolves;

-	If an active wolf den site is within or adjacent to an allotment, delay turnout of calves in the area until they reach 200 pounds in weight to minimize depredation potential;

-	Prohibit allotment management activities by humans near active wolf den sites during the denning period, to avoid human disturbance of the site;

-	Prohibit placing salt licks or other livestock attractants near wolf dens or rendezvous sites, to minimize cattle use of these sites;

-	In the event of depredation, move livestock to another pasture/unit or another allotment;

-	Temporarily switch grazing sites and move livestock to another location away from core areas;

-	Increase the frequency of human presence by using range riders and guard animals and frequently check livestock in areas with wolves or when wolves are in the vicinity of livestock pastures.

Livestock grazing on public lands is a privilege, not a right, and if a corporation such as Diamond M refuses to implement these coexistence measures, they should not be afforded that privilege.

These coexistence measures must be an integral part of each Forest Plan for each national forest and grassland that allows livestock grazing, and incorporated into the allotment management plans, grazing permits, and annual operating plans.

Unfortunately, the Forest Service refused to include such co-existence measures into the new Forest Plan on the Colville National Forest. We request that the Forest Service amend the Colville Forest Plan, and all forest plans on U.S. Forest Service-administered public lands open to livestock grazing, to incorporate these measures and to deny the grazing privilege of those ranchers who refuse to comply. Thank you.

Sincerely,
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