West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

ALLOTMENT NAME TYPE OF LIVESTOCK FORAGE TYPESpangler Hills Sheep EphemeralStoddard Mountain Sheep EphemeralSuperior Valley Sheep EphemeralTunawee Common Cattle/Sheep PerennialValley Well Horses Ephemeral/perennialWalker Pass Common Cattle Ephemeral/perennialWarren Sheep PerennialThe allotments are classified as either Taylor Grazing Act Section 3 grazing permits orSection 15 grazing leases. Allotments with perennial forage have an established limit of foragebased on the quality and quantity of perennial plants, stated in animal unit months (AUMs) for adefined period of grazing use. An AUM is a measure of perennial or ephemeral feed that willsupport a cow and its calf, a ewe and its lambs, or a bull for one month. Perennial forageconsumption is typically authorized at the same level from year to year unless forage productiondoes not meet seasonal norms. In contrast, grazing use in allotments with ephemeral forage doesnot have an established level or specified period of use. Instead the amount and length ofgrazing use is based on ephemeral production and determined just prior to authorizing thegrazing use.In most cases, BLM authorizes grazing by permit or lease for a period of 10 years. Ashorter period of time is sometimes issued for special circumstances, such as to accommodate ashorter-term lease of the base property or when the Authorized Officer determines that a shortertermauthorization is in the best interest of range management. Additionally, non-renewablegrazing authorization may be issued for special short-term needs such as trailing, or when thereis short-term surplus forage available for grazing. All permits and leases are subject tomodification and to annual adjustments. Such modifications are implemented throughconsultation between the permittee or lessee and the BLM.The permit or lease identifies the number, kind and/or type of livestock that may grazethe allotment, and the grazing period (usually with specific beginning and ending dates). Inaddition, many permits and leases also require adherence to prescribed grazing prescriptions inthe form of grazing systems such as deferred, deferred-rotation, or rest-rotation. Otherauthorizations may have conditions pertaining to turnout dates based on vegetation conditions.Some permittees and lessees have specific grazing utilization standards and other specifiedconditions to protect site-specific areas, such as riparian areas, wildlife habitat, and special statusplant populations. Usually these conditions have been developed in consultation and cooperationbetween BLM and the livestock operator in the form of an allotment management plan or otherplanning effort.Often there are occasions when the permittee or lessee elects to graze less than the fullamount of grazing authorized for the grazing season. Sometimes this is due to environmentallyrelated factors such as droughts or fires, and in other cases it may be to accommodate thelivestock operator’s need to adjust livestock numbers for marketing or livestock husbandryChapter 3 3-211