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Take Action to Encourage a Sensible Grazing Policy on the John Day!

Form to make public comments on the John Day Resource Management Plan

Thank you for taking the time to comment on the John Day RMP! Your message to the BLM will help them make the right decision for wildlife, clean water and public recreation.

Please edit the message below and add any personal comments you'd like to make on the John Day RMP. When you are done, press submit, and your message will be sent to the BLM.

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Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the John Day Resource Management Plan.  Although the current draft of the plan is comprehensive in its scope, I do have some major concerns with the way that the BLM’s preferred alternative will impact wildlife habitat, primitive recreation and the ecological health of the John Day Basin.

Public lands grazing in the John Day Basin is a major concern of mine, as it contributes to riparian vegetation damage, bank erosion, soil compaction, water pollution, and other negative ecological impacts.  The vast majority of streams in the John Day basin are Clean Water Act 303d listed for sedimentation, temperature, and fecal coliform, which is a clear sign of the current impacts of cattle grazing.  I urge the BLM to implement the grazing matrix, allowing for the retirement of grazing permits of willing permitees on public lands for the life of the plan:

1.	Close All Vacant Grazing Allotments
2.	Allow for “IPR Close” in Sensitive and Special Management Areas
3.	No Action/Do not create allotments in North Fork Lands

Additionally, I encourage you to continue to keep grazing and off-highway vehicle use off of North Fork lands to protect the extremely high values for fish and wildlife habitat.

BLM lands with critical steelhead habitat in the John Day Basin should be given special status designation with the primary purpose of protecting fish, spawning habitat, and water quality.    Specifically, the BLM should assess all grazing allotments throughout the basin for restoration priority having existing or potential steelhead habitat, and phase out or reduce grazing on allotments that contain existing or potential steelhead habitat on tributaries not showing significant recovery.

The BLM should allow voluntary permit retirement for all allotments within Wild and Scenic corridors and state scenic waterways, in existing or potential habitat for listed steelhead, and in areas with wilderness characteristics.

The Resource Management Plan should clearly identify:
o	 All allotments that contain grazed riparian areas; 
o	All riparian allotments that have failed or not been evaluated for Standards and Guidelines.
o	All monitoring data relating to livestock grazing impacts AS REQUIRED in the John Day River Plan.

In addition, the BLM should complete all Standard and Guideline evaluations prior to the Record of Decision and suspend grazing immediately on all allotments that have not been evaluated that are in existing or potential habitat for listed steelhead.

Any lands that have been identified as having wilderness qualities, whether by the BLM or volunteer inventories, are too sensitive to handle any motorized activities.  The BLM should close all wilderness-quality lands to off-road vehicles and limit motorized use outside of closed areas to protect wildlife.

Thank you again for the opportunity to comment on the John Day Resource Management Plan.  Please take my comments into consideration when making your decision about the final management plan for the area.

Oregon Natural Desert Association

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Take Action to Encourage a Sensible Grazing Policy on the John Day!