Mountain allotment management plan environmental assessment

Abstract

Proposes to divide allotment into two use areas, grazed separately with two cattle herds, to facilitate better herd management and ranch operations, to assist in achieving a 50 percent target level of utilization on key plant species, to provide growing season rest to key plant species, to mitigate impacts of livestock to cultural and paleontological resources in congregation areas, and because past attempts to graze all permittees' cattle together as one herd have been largely unsuccessful. Includes maintaining current stands of antelope bitterbrush, improving steambank stability and the ecological rating on Stinkingwater Creek, maintaining ability of perennial native forbs, providing for a stable to upward trend in rangeland condition within the mountain big sagebrush/Idaho fescue/Thurber's needlegrass plant communities, and increasing uniformity of livestock utilization levels and provide periodic growing season rest from livestock grazing for upland and riparian plant communities.