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SFNF Violation of Cattle Grazing Permits |
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2019 letter from SFNF Supervisor Melonas (337 kb) 2018 letter to SFNF and state officials (2,954 kb) 2017 letter to SFNF and state officials (1,470 kb)
Cattle have colored ear tags that identify the lessee. The lessees of cattle surrounding our area carry white, green and yellow ear tags. Make note of the location, date, time and tag color when you report. Take a picture and send to FS . |
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The cattle grazing lease that was up for renewal end of Dec 2017 was renewed without further consideration from public complaint about noncompliance issues. The grazing permits for 2018, despite the acknowledged lack of substantial pasture boundary fencing, were also renewed with no repairs/replacement of fencing or cattle guards and cattle continued to trespass onto unauthorized pastures, riparian areas and private land. The FS have paid lip service to the issues in 2017 and 2018 and no compliance was required from the permittees for failure to follow the annual operation instructions and the FS failed to regulate the rotation schedule. Permit regulations state that the permittee can be subject to lease suspension or cancellation if in violation. The FS did nothing. Cattle grazing is now continuing in 2019 with no expected change. However some SLP residents are willing to continue efforts to hold the FS and permittees accountable to the law. See Dec. 2018 letter. The residents have contacted and received some support from Senator Heinrich's office. In 2017, property owners not only initiated letters with a request to suspend or cancel the V Double Slash Grazing Permit, based on violations of the grazing permit law, but they also were offered free fencing material so a pasture boundary between the 400+ acres of SLP and the permittee allotment pastures could be established-- IF the property owners agreed to install it. As of April 2019, no secure pasture boundaries have been completed and the FS puts the onus on the community to provide external pasture fencing. Regardless, no fencing = no pastures and there can be no rotation. Rotation is required in the annual operating instructions, however to date it is not being complied with by the FS or the permittee. A Section 18 analysis (a temp substitute for a NEPA analysis), was promised in August 2018 and has yet to be produced from the Feb. 2018 FOIA request. A FOIA request was submitted in Feb. 2018 to track past history of the violations of the lessee and the FS for an upcoming NEPA cited to be in 2 years. The requested documents though incomplete were finally received June 5, 2018. We still await the missing docs and maps from the 2018 FOIA request and on Feb. 2019 another FOIA was requested for 2018 documentation on the 3 allotments that surround SLP to investigate permittee contracts and what the FS has done to remedy any of the violations. To date no action has been taken. FOIA Information: 2018 V// Permit--2.59Mb FS Notice of Noncompliance (2012--685 kb) (2017--435 kb) 2018 Annual Operating Instructions (AOI)--1.5 Mb Interested in other documents we have on file? Email us as cmslppoa@gmail.com * * * * * Grazing and Livestock Use Permit System (238 kb) V Doubleslash North - Map (7 MB) Jemez Range Allotment Map (131 kb) V Doubleslash Annual Operating Instructions (1.7 MB) V Doubleslash Allotment Plan (4.3 MB) What happens when you call the Forest Service about cows on your property? (346 kb) |
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