In my opinion, even judges can have bad judgment. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back right after this with a less than perfect decision for cattle producers.On February 26, 2009 U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would have to rethink the way it manages grazing on 625,000 acres in southwestern Idaho and northeastern Nevada. Judge Winmill made this decision because of motions filed by the Western Watershed Project - these are the people who hate to see cattle grazing anywhere, anytime. They hate cattle out of fear of the animals or they stepped in something once upon a time. In 2007, the Murphy Complex fire in Idaho burned nearly 1,000 square miles killing wildlife, cattle and wiping out prime habitat for sage grouse. The solution, according to the thinking of the Western Watershed Project people, should be banning grazing on 36 allotments that were not burned. While Judge Winmill did not rule in favor of the grazing ban, he did conclude grazing is a key factor in the decline of species like the sage grouse. "Experts" say sage grouse are declining due to habitat loss from wildfire, urban development, grazing, nonnative weed encroachment, and oil and gas production. Well, Mr. Winmill there are other experts who will tell you proper grazing can help curtail wildfires and weed problems, and grazing creates greater biodiversity. Oh, the sage grouse experts failed to mention increased predator numbers as a problem, didn't they. I'm Jeff Keane.

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