By Kevin Proescholdt, Wilderness Watch
Recent reporting has exposed some of the many ongoing problems with livestock grazing on federal public lands. These problems include great resource damage, little oversight or repair of that damage, and the oversized political influence of ranchers and wealthy landowners. Despite this recent attention, little has been written about the many problems that livestock grazing causes specifically to designated Wilderness and its native wildlife.
Many people think that Wildernesses, those beautiful, wild areas designated by Congress under the 1964 Wilderness Act, are off limits to grazing by cattle and sheep. Unfortunately that is not the case.
According to a Wilderness Watch report, livestock actively graze about 10 million acres of the 52.4 million acres of designated Wilderness in the Lower 48 states. This includes grazing in over 330 Wilderness areas in all of the 11 western states, primarily public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service.
In addition to all of the problems that non-native cattle and sheep grazing inflict on Wilderness from physical resource damage, trampling of riparian vegetation, water quality impairment, and degraded wilderness conditions for visitors, livestock grazing also causes great harm to native wildlife in Wilderness. Here are a few examples:
• Upper Green River Allotment in Wyoming
The Upper Green River Allotment, at 170,000 acres the largest Forest Service grazing allotment in the nation, lies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem east of Jackson in prime grizzly habitat. Small parts of this allotment overlap the Gros Ventre and Bridger Wildernesses. Yet the Forest Service has authorized the killing of up to 72 grizzlies—supposedly protected as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act—over 10 years in order to protect the cattle that graze in that allotment.
• Domestic sheep impacts on wilderness bighorns
In places like the High Uintas Wilderness in Utah and the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado, herds of domestic sheep graze in the habitats of native bighorn sheep. Yet domestic sheep can transmit a fatal form of pneumonia to native bighorn sheep, which usually decimates the bighorn herds.
• Utah’s predator killing
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources currently hires trappers to kill mountain lions and other native predators across broad swaths of public land, including a number of Wilderness areas, according to information shared at that agency’s Regional Advisory Council meetings in December. This predator killing is done primarily to protect livestock and artificially increase deer populations. But the mountain lion population in Utah—including in Wilderness—has steeply declined as a result.
To make matters worse, the U.S. taxpayers subsidize this damage to Wilderness and its wildlife, since federal livestock grazing fees are set so low in comparison to grazing fees charged by private landowners. The federal government charges ranching corporations only $1.35 per month for one cow and her calf, or five sheep, to graze on federal public land, which is only about 6 percent of the typical private land grazing fee, meaning that U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing the damage to Wilderness and its wildlife as described above.
Because of all the damage and degradation caused by livestock grazing in Wilderness, its relatively tiny contribution to the livestock industries, and the taxpayer subsidies it requires, it is well past time to end all livestock grazing in America’s National Wilderness Preservation System. We should instead protect these wild, natural gems as unmanipulated places for both their native wildlife and human visitors.
Kevin Proescholdt is Wilderness Watch’s conservation director.
WHAT YOU CAN DO HELP END LIVESTOCK DAMAGE TO WILDERNESS
Wilderness Watch applauds Representative Adam Smith of Washington State for reintroducing the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act (VGPRA). The legislation will expand the successful model of voluntary federal livestock grazing permit retirement across the western U.S., including in Wilderness.
Specifically, the VGPRA (H.R. 5785):
- Authorizes ranchers in 16 Western states to voluntarily waive federal grazing permits or leases with the intent to permanently end livestock grazing on an allotment, including those in Wilderness.
- Ensures that any retired allotment cannot be re-leased for new grazing permits.
- Helps restore wildlife corridors, protect water quality, and reduce the costs of administering grazing programs.
The VGPRA stands in stark contrast to current administrative and legislative efforts to stock every vacant allotment—including in Wilderness—with livestock or increase grazing by reducing environmental review.
Click here to urge your representative to co-sponsor and pass the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act (H.R. 5785) to protect Wilderness and its wildlife.
Photo (at top) by Lance Cheung/USDA
112 Comments
I don’t eat beef for this sole reason, the cattle industry is sick and destructive, and ranchers do NOT care about the public lands and wildlife they feed off, with taxpayers paying for USDA – Wildlife Services killing indiscriminately endangered species and wildlife they don’t want around ranchers. This has got to stop. They are the reason that apex predators, like wolves, grizzlies and pumas are hunted. They are worst!
As long as people continue to demand the flesh of animals for food, this grazing problem will only get worse. We produce and kill over 84 billion animals for food every year, and it takes 39 pounds of food to feed one cow for the return of only one pound of the meat on our plates. And 37 percent of all land around the world (not included with ice) is currently used to graze animals. We use more land to grow food for animals than to grow food for the entire human population. At this rate the planet can no longer sustain itself and we are approaching a point of no return for cooling the climate. Humans do not need to eat animals to get all the protein and calcium necessary for a healthy life when we eat a balanced plant based meal. Grazing land should be greatly reduced by letting nature take its course expanding wilderness to help heal the planet, thus reducing global warming. Please research to confirm the numbers I mentioned at Climate Healers and the recent World Wild Fund results on the wildlife extinction in the past 50 years!
I am sharing on Bluesky your posts.
Rethinkthewolf.bluesky.social
As usual, big AG is in control of our government and our legislators. “Public lands” does not mean corporately owned and operated. The destruction of fragile ecosystems and endangered species by grazing cattle and sheep is an abomination. Why do meat farmers have more rights to public lands than our citizenry? It’s not fair, it’s not equitable, and it only serves big AG. It must stop.
We frequent a state park in Montana and have for over 20 years. Just in the last couple of years, there have been cattle roaming freely in the park. The first time, we were told they were from a neighboring cattle ranch that must have gotten out. This continued that summer and next. The rumor then was the rancher was allowed to open graze in the area. Countless piles on the trails and broken trees/flattened grasses in the meadow. One time, there were even cattle walking through a few campsites. We complained multiple times and were told a cattle guard would be installed-nope! We still saw evidence of them last summer. This park is abundant with wildlife and river riparian areas. Cattle do not belong in these areas.
While the demand for meat remains high, then this will continue to happen. America gave the world junk food and this is one of the many prices we pay for such a destructive industry. We all know what needs to happen people on the whole aren’t willing to change. We need to take a close look at our diets and make wholesale changes, otherwise nothing will ever change.
Idiots feel wildlife and animals don’t contribute to our earth. I feel they do and in many ways. The food chain is based on the weak, sick, old, and unfortunately also the very young are fair game in the natural world. When humans, uneducated in science, or simply abiding by their own thoughts on the subject want a quick fix and the present government wants profit over everything. Deer eat grasses to the ground making the soil run into rivers, cattle, sheep, etc do the same. Wolves, mountain lions are a safeguard to keep numbers in check. and wildlife in proportion. The BLM kill wild horses to remove them for more cattle to graze yet horses are good for the land and have been so for centuries. Any agencies we have left are deficient in education and action as to how to support, not kill off natural predators. Trump has closed and fired most beneficial agencies that made a difference in health and welfare of animals and wildlife. We must stop killing wildlife as we need wildlife to support us and our planet’s basic needs. We can all live in peace if we have thinking heads and not talking heads! Politics and greed are the main reason for this demise. Ignorance is the enemy not the predators.
Livestock cause great resource damage. There is little oversight or repair of that damage, and the oversized political influence of ranchers and wealthy landowners takes away from those who have no influence but value our natural resources.
This is how the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest started…allowing cattle ranchers to graze their cattle in the forest. Then of course, trees had to be cut down so that underbrush could more easily grow and cattle could graze. We are not so slowly and surely killing the planet’s is is hastening the ability to heal itself from the reckless actions of humans. This is hastening the extinction of species, INCLUDING MANKIND. we are killing ourselves.
blm bought colluding animal abusing rancher miner minions. Money grubbing frauds. Sadistic cruel to Horses Donkey etc on PUBLIC LANDS CROOKS ARE TO MANAG NOT DESTROY SELL TO THEIR PALS FOR PROFIT.
This is going too far. Natural wildlife most be protectect
Our wildlife is our national treasure. Not greedy corporations that rip off the taxpayer for their own greed. Talk about socialism for the rich!
wild life squeezed out, for what? Profit? Not right!
Excellent summary of a huge problem in the United States. As you say in the article the ranching and agriculture industry, along with private landowners, are very powerful and control the legislatures in western states. In the current Congress there is little support to admit to the damage to ecosystems and then to change this situation. as well. Thank you for documenting the facts. We can hope to improve the overgrazing problem with ongoing public education.
Grazing does irreparable damage to our lands, and must be reigned in. Ideally it would be banned.
This is ridiculous, why are they even allowed to do this.
No domestic livestock should be allowed to graze in wilderness area. What gets my goat (pardon the pun) even more is how little the farmers pay for letting their livestock graze on public lands practically for free. Wilderness areas are for wildlife, not livestock!!!
Animal agriculture is the most destructive industry on the planet. In addition to causing suffering on a monstrous scale, it is responsible for generating more greenhouse gases than all forms of transportation combined, environmental degradation, habitat and species loss, fresh water waste and pollution, ocean acidification and dead zones, it leads to negative human health outcomes, is creating antibiotic resistant microbes and checks off all of the boxes for conditions that could/will produce the next pandemic. We need to end the billions of tax payer dollars in subsidies and transition to a humane, sustainable and healthy plant-based food system.
Does this include removal of mustangs? I will not sign if it does.
Livestock grazing is very damaging to the environment and only enriches the ranchers who pay very small grazing fees. This would not be considered capitalism. Keeping our public lands for the public is what should be done. Charging such low rates for grazing privileges is only subsidizing ranchers. In addition to the degradation of the land ranchers will not provide any shelter for their animals and therefore kill wolves and other animals who might kill their cattle and sheep. If that is not enough, they get government agencies, paid by federal or state tax money to hunt and kill local wildlife. I and many others do not want our money spent for killing our wildlife while destroying our land.
Regards,
Anne Kilgore
Please don’t do this, it takes things too far in the wrong direction.
Because of all the damage and degradation caused by livestock grazing in Wilderness, its relatively tiny contribution to the livestock industries, and the taxpayer subsidies it requires, it is well past time to end all livestock grazing in America’s National Wilderness Preservation System. We should instead protect these wild, natural gems as unmanipulated places for both their native wildlife and human visitors.
Appreciate your bring all this very important information to the front. Please continue to help keep our beloved Mother Nature from being decimated.
The mass of terrestrian vertebrates consists of 65 % domestic animals, 32 % human beings and 3 % wildlife!!!
Dont reduce wildlife any more!
Our wildlife deserves the land that belongs to them , too many species have lost their habitats. Livestock can not be the reason that we lose our wildlife, if everyone cut down on what they consume and eat healthy , we can all live together.
This is going too far. Natural wildlife most be protectect
give wildlife a better chance, they deserve it
We know this ruins nature and can not come back even years later. Is this why RFKjr. wants people to eat more meat? Meat takes so much more energy and destroys more nature than growing grain or vegetables. The shit produced causes pollution to waters and earth. We need to have less cattle and less methane in our air. STOP GRAZING in more areas.
Please stop the slaughter of wild animals and get domestic animal production OUT OF WILDERNESS AREAS! Stop using public wilderness areas to conduct domestic animal PRODUCTION (grazing) on wilderness land. The farmers don’t own wilderness lands; the TAXPAYERS DO!
Cattle out– they have had their day. Especially since their continued existence would appear to demand the killing of other species.
It is time to reform our system of allowing ranchers free access to our public lands to graze their cattle. Cattle harm our wilderness. We need to do more to retire, grazing leases.
Enough with Sheep and Cows taking over the Wilderness the Wilderness is for wildlife and only wildlife Farmers are getting to greedy and very selfish they think they can take over any wilderness they want enough is enough
Thanks for your work to raise awareness. You are right to oppose.
There needs to be balance between ranchers and the delicate ecological balance of the Wilderness areas of the US. Apparently, the current administration is only interested in profit, be damned what the consequences are for future generations.
We need free and open wilderness places to maintain our peace and sanctity.
If we do not stop the insanity, we will turn God‘s beautiful creation into a desert.
As a 46 year climate activist, those of you who eat meat and dairy should be ashamed of yourselves for what you are doing to innocent animals who have as much right to live on our planet as you do. Stop putting yourselves before others lives. Your behavior is horrific.
ranchers and politicians, leave our federal lands alone.
also stop killing the wild animals, horses, wolfs, bears, etc.
keep your cows, etc on your own land. not mine!
Farmers taking away land for the wildlife animals. Killing the animals that belong to that land and not caring. Damaging the land with the over grazing of the herds. Just not letting these animals live their life in their homes and coming just to take over for their money in their pocket.
I agree with you. Cattle have no business grazing on Public Land. In my opinion the government should not have the right to allow it.
If you are going to raise livestock then you should have enough property to support them
All,
To make matters worse, the U.S. taxpayers subsidize this damage to Wilderness and its wildlife, since federal livestock grazing fees are set so low in comparison to grazing fees charged by private landowners. The federal government charges ranching corporations only $1.35 per month for one cow and her calf, or five sheep, to graze on federal public land, which is only about 6 percent of the typical private land grazing fee, meaning that U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing the damage to Wilderness and its wildlife as described above.
Because of all the damage and degradation caused by livestock grazing in Wilderness, its relatively tiny contribution to the livestock industries, and the taxpayer subsidies it requires, it is well past time to end all livestock grazing in America’s National Wilderness Preservation System. We should instead protect these wild, natural gems as unmanipulated places for both their native wildlife and human visitors.
Please, protect the wilderness from livestock grazing.
Regards Elise
I am no vegetarian, but this is going too far. The ecology alone is sacred, and money is insignificant.
If you are not a vegetarian, then I’m afraid to say that you are complicit in this damage.
The grazing of livestock on federal public lands has been allowed to go too far and has been wrongly taken advantage of. Natural native wildlife is wiped out one way or the other for this abuse and this has completely thrown off the balance of nature. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
It is critical to pass the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act (H.R. 5785) to protect wilderness and wildlife.
Let us stop domestic grazing on wilderness land.
give wildlife a chance, they need it and deserve it
It’s time that each and every member of our federal government do what’s right for all of the wild animals that live in every corner of our great nation. We are so tired of all of the crap that Trump and his cohorts in crime and corruption.
Cattle and sheep do not belong on our public lands!
The outlandishly cheap cost of grazing on public lands should have been remedied LONG ago; either stop it altogether, or pay a fair price for the activity!
grazing inflict on Wilderness from physical resource damage, trampling of riparian vegetation, water quality impairment, and degraded wilderness conditions for visitors, livestock grazing also causes great harm to native wildlife in Wilderness.
FILTHY RICH RANCHERS NEED TO STOP LOOKING FOR A FREE RIDE ON OUR GOVERNMENT LANDS!!!!!!!!