“If those cattle cannot be on the public lands, then those ranchers may be selling out to ski condos or to real estate development. And that’s not really what the environmental community has advocated, it’s not what the ranchers want to see. We want to help protect those open spaces.”

One of the provisions in the new regulations would allow for a five year phase-in whenever a grazing allotment is changed by more than ten percent, allowing ranchers better business planning.

“This phase in is helpful to ranchers because it gives some predictability. We’re not going to dramatically change their ability to make a living within a short period of time.”

After the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 60 days to comment. The Bureau of Land Management will also be publishing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public comment later this month.
Ron Tull, Interior Department Radio News Service.