The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is under fire for failing to effectively manage the 56.7 million acres of rangeland it oversees, according to a report from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). High Country News writer Jimmy Tobias highlights that high, cold deserts in Nevada, Wyoming, and southern Idaho are among the areas most affected by this shortcoming, with 22 million acres in Nevada alone failing to meet health standards.
Tobias explains that the BLM has not conducted health assessments on 24 percent of its grazing lands between 1997 and 2023, and half of those that were evaluated did not meet standards for water quality, watershed protection, and conservation. Several factors contribute to the degradation of public lands, including overgrazing, invasive weeds, wildfires, off-road vehicle use, and drought. Additionally, a loophole in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act allows the agency to reissue grazing permits to ranchers without completing environmental reviews.
Historically, the BLM has faced pressure from ranching interests which has led to minimal efforts to address issues like illegal grazing and other harmful practices. However, a new rule introduced by the Biden administration aims to expand the land health evaluation program to include all surface acreage under the agency’s jurisdiction in an effort to improve rangeland management.
