Public Lands Management Needs Data

The U.S. Forest Service  and Bureau of Land Management need to have better data on activities on public lands, such as livestock grazing, to better support overall land management, according to a letter sent by Reps. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to House Appropriations Committee leadership.

 The letter requests $15 million for grazing monitoring by the Bureau of Land Management and $15 million for monitoring by the U.S. Forest Service in the fiscal year 2004 Interior bill.

 The letter to Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, and Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), ranking Democratic member of the subcommittee, says that proper land management can be enhanced with information about grazing’s effects on the land’s values and resources, and grazing’s relationship with other lawful uses of those lands.

“We think an important step to improving matters would be increased funding for short- and long-term monitoring of grazing allotments on public lands —something that we understand is also supported by the livestock industry,” the letter states.  It also says the funding “will enable the agencies to base their decisions on better information,” and it will “enable the public to better understand the effects of grazing on the affected lands.”

 NCBA and the Public Lands Council have advocated that funds for the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service be earmarked for public lands monitoring.