BLM Fails to Protect Public Lands from Lawless Ranchers

June 9, 2015

AWHC Contributor

Public lands ranchers, many of whom decry the federal government while happily accepting federal grazing subsidies, continue to defy Bureau of Land Management (BLM) restrictions on livestock grazing. Emboldened by Cliven Bundy, who owes the federal government millions of dollars in grazing fees and whose trespass cattle are still illegally grazing on BLM land in southern Nevada, ranchers continue to thumb their nose at federal authority. As in the Bundy situation, the BLM continues to back down. While the agency has threatened to arrest wild horse advocates for the simple act of videotaping, it takes no action against lawless ranchers who flaunt grazing restrictions and offer up threats of violence in the form of armed militias. The BLM's lack of action against these violators is an affront to law-abiding citizens and American taxpayers whose drought-stricken, western public lands are rapidly being turned into a dust bowl, courtesy of welfare ranching. Please read on for the latest examples.

BLM Allows Grazing on Closed Allotment to Avoid Confrontation

During the first week of June 2015, two Elko County Commissioners joined welfare ranchers Dan and Eddyann Fillippini in breaking federal law by turning out cattle in a drought-stricken area of public lands where livestock grazing has been prohibited by the BLM. In response, the BLM did nothing. Instead, the agency "negotiated" with these ranchers, who feel entitled to graze their livestock on our public lands and receive taxpayer-subsidized grazing rates that are a fraction of market rate. In a settlement dated June 5, 2015, the BLM agreed to allow the Fillippinis to leave their trespass cattle on the public lands that have been closed to livestock grazing because of the drought. In exchange, the Filippinis admitted to "willful" grazing trespass and will have to pay less than a week's worth of "enhanced" grazing fees, which are still a fraction of market rate, thanks to our taxpayer subsidies. Since the settlement, the grazing fee has reverted to $1.65 per Animal Unit Month, which is at least 1/12th of the fee they would pay to graze their livestock on private lands and far cheaper for the Filippinis than keeping their cattle on their own private lands and feeding them hay. So, once again, the BLM rewarded welfare ranchers for illegal behavior and the destruction of our public lands.

Read more from the Associated Press and the Elko Daily.

Also check out:

Rancher Rewarded for Illegal Trespass as BLM Avoids Enforcement at all Costs, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
U.S. won’t enforce Nevada grazing restrictions in new dispute
Western Watersheds Statement of Fillippini Grazing

After Bundy, Ranchers Continue to Bully Federal Government Without Consequence

In February 2014, one local Nevada office of the Bureau of Land Management took a small step to address the combined impacts of livestock grazing and drought on habitat essential to sage-grouse, antelope, wild horses, and other wildlife. They recommended closing an area of priority sage-grouse habitat to grazing in order to protect the remaining habitat. The BLM proposed closing the severely degraded Argenta allotment to grazing for one year to allow the ravaged landscape to begin a healing process.

The Cliven Bundy debacle unfolded, and public lands ranchers saw that those who refuse to follow the rule of law would face no consequences. And so the ranchers who graze the Argenta allotment for less than 10 percent of fair market value refused to rest the land.

Nevada Rancher Kevin Borba Blocks Release of Wild Horses

Nevada welfare rancher Kevin Borba, who grazes livestock on the public lands in the Fish Creek wild horse Herd Management Area (HMA), blocked the BLM from releasing nearly 200 wild horses back to the range after a roundup in which mares had been inoculated with the PZP fertility control vaccine. Borba’s complaint with the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) should not have stopped the BLM from releasing the horse. The BLM’s decisions are issued with "full force and effect," meaning that the action can be implemented immediately, even if the decision is appealed to the IBLA. However, the BLM caved to Borba’s actions and instead of releasing horses back to the HMA as intended, it trucked them to the Palomino Valley holding facility, where taxpayers paid to feed and care for them for nearly a month. Ultimately, the BLM prevailed in the IBLA appeal and the horses were returned to the range, but not before several perished. In addition, a number of mares foaled in the holding pens, meaning they will not be released for months, if ever.

Federal Grazing Program in Bundy Dispute Rips-Off Taxpayers, Wild Horses

From Forbes:

Cliven Bundy was a Nevada rancher who illegally grazed his cattle for 20 years on thousands of acres of public land, owing $1 million in unpaid grazing fees.

But when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees the land, showed up to remove his 900 cattle, a modern-day whiskey rebellion broke out. Dozens of mounted Bundy supporters advanced on a handful of BLM agents in SUVs, guns at the ready, carrying banners. The BLM retreated and returned Bundy’s cattle, minus several killed during the round-up.