Project to Reform Public Land Grazing Practices in Northern California

Transcription

1 Project to Reform Public Land Grazing Practices in Northern California 28 Maple Road Klamath, Ca Annual Report Introduction 2012 was the third year the project has been working to reform grazing practices on the Klamath National Forest. We are sponsored by three organizations: The Klamath Forest Alliance (KFA), Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) and Wilderness Watch (WW). This year, at the urging of EPIC, we expanded our project to include national forests and other public lands in Northeast California. The motivation for this expansion is the return of the Gray Wolf to California for the first time since the species was extirpated in the 1920s. The coming of OR-7 aka Journey - to California created excitement around the world via the web. In Northeast California this coming reignited fears sometimes bordering on hysteria - which had also been stirred up a decade ago by right wing, anti-environmental and agricultural lobby organizations. EPIC and this project are working with Amaroq Weiss from the California Wolf Center, as well as with the Center for Biological Diversity and others, to prepare the way for the return of the Gray Wolf. Much of this effort centers on public education and is discussed below. On the Klamath National Forest our project focuses on monitoring grazing practices on the ground, documenting impacts to water quality, wetlands and habitat, and using that documentation to advocate for management reform. Via the Scott and Klamath TMDL Clean-Up Plans and other provisions, the Clean Water Act is one of the main tools we use to advocate for reform. The Scott and Klamath River clean-up plans are intended to address violation of the Basin Plan's temperature, sediment and nutrient impairments to beneficial uses. On the Klamath National Forest we coordinate our monitoring of grazing practices with water quality monitoring by the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation (QVIR). We also pursue reform of grazing management practices through an informal collaborative involving the QVIR and other Klamath River Basin tribes, Forest Service local managers and state-wide staff, staff of the North Coast Water Quality Board, UC Extension researchers and grazing permit holders. Water Quality monitoring results from the QVIR are what inspired us to initiate this project. QVIR has documentation e-coli, fecal coliform and nutrient pollution at numerous points in and below KNF Grazing Allotments within the Scott River Watershed. In 2012 they documented violation of the North Coast Basin Plan's e-coli standard. Here's a link to the QVIR's EPA web site which has links to reports presenting their 2011 and 2012 monitoring effort and findings: Forest Service KNF managers have arranged to have the BLM's national riparian team come in to work with the collaborative and grazing permit holders beginning in May While managers have yet to state it clearly or in writing, this amounts to an admission that management reform is needed. All monitoring work associated with this project is done by volunteers; the project has no paid staff. -1-

2 The Klamath Forest Alliance has a small grant from the Fund for Wild Nature which pays the mileage and food expenses incurred by volunteers during monitoring trips. EPIC has also provided support for the work in NE California. Level of Effort During the 2012 field season I and 2 volunteers logged 139 hours monitoring grazing practices in the field on KNF allotments. We concentrated our monitoring on the following allotments (watersheds): Big Meadows Allotment (Shakleford Creek; Scott River Watershed) Big Ridge Allotment (Elk Creek, Grider Creek, Kelsey Creek; Scott and Mid-Klamath Watersheds Etna Creek Allotment (Etna and S. Russian Creeks; Scott and Salmon River Watersheds) South Russian Allotment (S. Russian Creek; Salmon River Watershed) Marble Valley Allotment (Canyon Creek; Scott River Watershed) Mill Creek Allotment (E. Boulder and Mill Creeks; Scott River Watershed) For reasons explained below, this field season we had a special focus on the Big Meadows Allotment which was visited on 4 separate occasions. Findings At the end of the 2011 field season we presented our major findings to the KNF Collaborative findings confirmed that the pattern of management problems we identified in 2011 can be found in greater or lesser measure across all the allotments we've monitored. Persistent and widespread grazing management problems found on KNF Allotments which we have monitored include: Finding #1: Uneven utilization. Certain areas are severely overgrazed while others are ungrazed. Finding #2: Riparian vegetation is removed/degraded where livestock congregate and created multiple stream crossings. Finding #3: Revegetation/recovery is prevented in riparian areas where livestock congregate Finding #4: Water quality is being degraded through direct deposition of animal waste and bank trampling. Finding #5: Significant and mapped wetlands are being degraded as a result of hoof damage and waste deposition. Finding #6: Sensitive lakes and wetlands which cattle did not historically access are now being used on a regular basis. To avoid conflict with other wilderness users, permittees are now putting cattle into more remote locations which are being trashed. Finding #7: The Ecological Status of KNF rangelands, as required by KNF LRMP Standard and Guideline 23-1, has not been assessed. However, there are many indications -2-

3 that ecological conditions have been compromised as a result of poorly managed grazing. Finding #8: High Quality Waters located in national forest wilderness are being degraded as a result of permitted grazing which is not adequately managed. Finding #9: Recreational use of wilderness is also impacting riparian areas and water quality. Working Hypotheses and Tenatative Conclusions The monitoring we did during the 2012 field season confirmed the tentative conclusions we identified in our 2011 summary report: 1. Grazing on the KNF is not in compliance with the Clean Water Act including TMDL CleanUp Plans, Non-Degradation and Maintenance of High Quality Waters requirements. 2. Grazing on the KNF is not in compliance with applicable LRMP Standards and Guidelines. 3. It is impossible to comply with applicable laws, regulations and best management practices without regular range riding. 4. The FS has the ability to require regular range riding but does not; most allotment visits by permittees are to put out and bring in livestock at the beginning and end of the grazing season. 5. Due to the nature of the landscape it may be impossible to graze cattle in some/many current allotments without degrading water quality and riparian areas at least within the allotment and sometimes downstream. 6. The KNF should require permits for all use of wilderness. A permit system is the only way to identify and deter recreational and other users who do not follow rules established to protect water quality, sensitive habitats, etc. New 2012 findings As noted above, in 2012 we concentrated monitoring efforts on the Big Meadows Allotment. This allotment is comprised of pastures which are separated only by smaller patches of forest. There are two FS wilderness trails and several additional trails established over the years by grazing livestock which connect all the pastures. For this reason it is not possible to rotate the livestock among the pastures in a rest rotation management scheme. This allotment (Big and Back Meadows) has a plethora of springs. The cattle have gotten to all but one that I've found. In all cases they have trashed the springs. To adequately protect water quality would require range riding every 2 or 3 days. Even that intensity of herding may not adequately protect water quality and riparian areas because of the configuration of the pastures and the multiple trails connecting them. The photos below document water quality and riparian degradation on the Big Meadows Allotment. -3-

4 Cowpies are directly deposited in water resulting in e-coli & nutrient pollution Note the cowpie in lower right which is perched and will deliver waste to the Stream once the rains return. Also note the trampled streambank. We have also documented degradation and fragmentation of willow stands on the Big Meadows and Big Ridge Allotments. Large willow stands (1-3 acres) in the Klamath Mountains are associated with wet meadows. They constitute a special habitat and provide for the Little Willow Flycatcher a Forest -4-

5 Service sensitive species in this region. The species requires large willow stands. A previous KNF Partners in Flight study found Willow Flycatchers absent in the Marble Mountain Wilderness wherever there was grazing in willow habitat but present wherever there was suitable habitat but no grazing. Through our documentation of impacts to Big Meadows willow stands we have secured a commitment from KNF Managers to have a qualified FS biologist survey the Big Meadows Allotment for Willow Flycatchers and evaluate willow habitat suitability. This is scheduled to happen next field season. We will be monitoring the allotment next field season and will be vigilant to make sure the FS biological monitoring actually occurs. Bovine degraded and fragmented willow stand We found degradation of large willow stands located in and adjacent to wetlands in the Upper Bear Lake pastures of the Big Ridge Allotment as well. Beginning to focus on the wildlife and wildlife habitat impacts of grazing is a new direction for the Project. In the first two years we concentrated exclusively on livestock related impacts to water quality, wetlands and riparian areas. Impacts to wildlife and their habitats are related but a distinct topic. FS managers are responsible to assure that all native habitats, and the wildlife those habitats support, are sustained in healthy and properly functioning condition. Due to a successful legal challenge by EPIC, KFA and others, the Big Meadows and Big Ridge Allotments are among those which were reauthorized via a Categorical Exclusion but which will now have to be considered in an Environmental Analysis. This will provide the opportunity for our Project to inform comments and arguments by EPIC, KFA and WW for modifying and/or closing these allotments. -5-

6 Modoc NF Visit In November Project Coordinator Felice Pace traveled to Alturas in Modoc County to begin a dialogue with Modoc National Forest managers and range staff concerning the return of wolf packs to NE California. Biologists expect that to occur within the next decade or two. Along with the California Wolf Center and other environmental organizations, we plan to work with responsible agencies, grazing permittees, agricultural organizations and local communities, to manage the return of the Gray Wolf in a manner that minimizes and effectively manages livestock-wolf interactions and conflicts. Felice met with the grazing and ecosystem staff and also made contact with the past president of the Modoc Cattlemen's Association who had written in a local publication about the return of wolves. Our message is that we want to work with all interested parties to address concerns and the inevitable wolflivestock interactions in a manner that respects the wolves and livestock interests. We stressed the need for community and grazing permittee education about wolves to combat the wolf hysteria being promoted by anti-environmental extremists. The Modoc NF is covered with grazing allotments including five sheep allotments. Most permittees are local but some bring in livestock from outside the area to graze on the national forest. The forest also hosts a wild horse herd as well as elk and deer herds. And there is one part of the forest that has habitat for and a population of Sage Grouse. Judging from Annual Operating Instructions we've reviewed to date, Modoc NF managers apparently give much more explicit direction to permittees about the frequency of herding which is expected as compared to the KNF. However, monitoring reports also indicate that riparian areas particularly in the South Warner Wilderness are overutilized and degraded. The Future Our plan is to continue on the ground monitoring of grazing impacts on the Klamath National Forest. Working with North Coast Water Board staff, the QVIR and other partners we will use monitoring results to push for positive changes especially requiring regular range riding. During the 2013 filed season we hope to recruit master birdwatchers and/or qualified biologists to assess Willow Flycatcher and their habitat on selected KNF Grazing Allotments. In 2013 we will use our monitoring results to inform and strengthen comments by KFA and EPIC on KNF Grazing Reauthorization EA's as well as subsequent appeals and litigation if needed. The goal is to secure meaningful, positive change in KNF grazing management. Specific Objectives for work on grazing reauthorizations include: Retirement of the Big Meadows Allotment because unacceptable (and illegal) impacts to water quality and willow habitat are unavoidable. We want the Forest Service to offer this permittee a different allotment from among several that are currently vacant. Elimination of the Upper Bear Lake Valley from the Big Ridge Allotment. This pasture is within the Elk Creek key watershed; grazing there is incompatible with Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives for key watersheds. -6-

7 All allotments should be transitioned from the current management system (which places groups of bovines in set locations and leaves them there for the entire grazing season) to management which rotates grazing among various pastures within the allotment. We will continue to work to convince FS managers to require keeping and turning in of permittee management logs and minimum weekly range riding for herding purposes. Next year we will also expand outreach to Northeast California communities and agency managers concerning the return of the Gray Wolf. We will be planning educational efforts with the California Wolf Center and other partners. And we will outreach to NE California Indian Tribes in hopes of partnering with them as advocates for the returning Gray Wolf. Conclusion Our on-the-ground documentation of livestock impacts, along with tribal documentation of the water quality degradation and violations resulting from livestock grazing, powerfully makes the case for needed management reforms. While we have been able to secure specific responses from Forest Service managers to particular livestock issues and problems, we have not yet secured ongoing reforms. In 2013 we hope to make this final breakthrough and to see the initial implementation of explicit, ongoing and institutionalized management changes needed to protect and restore water quality and to end the degradation of riparian areas, wetlands, willow and other special habitats as a result of livestock grazing. It remains to be seen whether KNF Managers will implement these reforms voluntarily or whether we will need to resort to appeals and litigation to secure the needed reforms. Either way, the Project will continue to document management abuses on KNF allotments and to use that information to advocate for and secure management reform. -7-