Our underfunded and understaffed land management agencies, the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and State Divisions of Land are not restoring these degraded lands, wildlife populations and native plant communities, but are continuing unsustainable management without adequate science, regulation, monitoring or accountability.
They are not addressing the true costs of their management as these altered lands lose their productivity and water storage capacity from accelerated erosion, their plant communities shift to invasive or undesirable species, forests and grasslands are prone to severe fires, and fish and wildlife populations are diminished or eliminated.
Y2U continues to participate in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by submitting science-based comments on many Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decisions. These include proposed phosphate mining in Southeast Idaho. Y2U provides feedback on agency monitoring protocol and works towards creative solutions to help these underfunded agencies accomplish their stated conservation and restoration goals.
During FY20, Y2U submitted comments on thirteen (13) Draft Environmental Impact Statements and Categorical Exclusions. These include two sets of comments on proposed phosphate mines in Southeast Idaho owned by Bayer/Monsanto and JR Simplot. We submitted comments on a Forest Plan Revision for the Ashley National Forest, comments on a proposed ATV/OHV trail through wilderness and roadless areas of the Uinta Mountains in the Ashley National Forest, comments on proposed “range improvements” in the Manti-La Sal National Forest, six sets of comments on proposed timber projects and federal logging rule changes in the Ashley, Caribou-Targhee and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, and two sets of comments on stream restoration projects in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. We also submitted comments on proposed changes to Roadless Areas in conjunction with a proposed new phosphate mine in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
During FY20, Y2U filed five (5) Objections/Protests to FS and BLM public land management decisions in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest including two regarding phosphate mines in Southeast Idaho, one regarding a federal land exchange for a phosphate mine in Southeast Idaho, one regarding a proposed natural gas pipeline that runs through Idaho Roadless Areas, and one regarding a logging project in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
Y2U also filed three (3) Notices of Intent (NOI) to litigate public land management decisions by the US Forest Service and the US Fish & Wildlife Service during FY20. One regarding the authorization of the killing of 72 Grizzly bears in the Wind River Range of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, one regarding a proposed natural gas pipeline that is routed through Idaho Roadless Areas and Wilderness Study Areas in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and one regarding a logging and OHV trail project in Canada lynx and wolverine habitat and migration routes in the Yellowstone to Uintas Corridor.
On March 31st , 2020, Yellowstone to Uintas Connection, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, and our allies, filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service for the 2019 decision to allow 72 federally-protected grizzly bears to be killed for the sake of public lands livestock grazing operations in the Upper Green River area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. To view the comments, the Notice of Intent or the Complaint please see our web page at the following link: https://www.yellowstoneuintas.org/issues/science/item/86-upper-green-river-area-rangeland-3049
On April 20th, 2020, Yellowstone to Uintas Connection and the Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and the U.S. Forest Service to stop the Forest Service's decision to allow construction of the Crow Creek pipeline through six National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas in southeast Idaho. To view the comments, the Notice of Intent or the Complaint please see our web page at the following link: https://www.yellowstoneuintas.org/issues/science/item/124-crow-creek-pipeline-project
Work Plan:
- Continue to submit comments on Environmental Assessments (EA), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Categorical Exclusions (CE) and other stages of the land management decision-making process.
- Continue to file Objections on Final Decisions issued by these agencies when the issues identified for each proposed project are not satisfactorily addressed.
- Continue to pursue and support litigation when objection resolution is not reached for these proposed projects.
- Continue following up with agency staff as projects develop, and when possible, attend site visits where both agency staff and Y2U staff can discuss project purposes and objectives.
Expected Outcome:
Y2U has formed valuable relationships with several Forest Service and BLM staff over the last couple years, resulting in many positive outcomes including the closure of illegal roads and a reduction or elimination of trespass cattle in several closed allotments. With these positive relationships, we hope to increasingly be viewed as a resource to these agencies for data and feedback. However, Y2U will continue to be the voice for wildlife and habitat connectivity throughout the Corridor. We will continue to advocate for the use of sound science in land management decisions and when necessary, we will support litigation efforts to oppose projects that are projected to have a negative impact on wildlife and habitat.