Environmental advocates have launched legal action to block a Trump administration plan to open up to 24 million acres of federal lands to cattle grazing, warning it could harm endangered species and sensitive landscapes, including parts of the Grand Canyon.
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) has issued a notice of intent to sue, alleging the plan was fast-tracked without consulting the US Fish and Wildlife Service as required by the Endangered Species Act. The plan, implemented via a memorandum of understanding signed in March, uses emergency authority to expand grazing where it is currently not allowed.
Opponents argue that cattle grazing destroys critical habitats by stripping vegetation and polluting streams, and increases conflicts between ranchers and predators such as grizzly bears and wolves, often leading to the killing of protected species. They say the benefit to the livestock industry would be small, as public lands account for only 2% of the nation's beef cattle.
The plan also includes provisions to train federal employees in the daily life of ranchers, which critics say prioritises big agriculture. The Bureau of Land Management declined to comment, but the policy aims for no net loss of grazing capacity and maximising livestock use across western rangelands.
