Marvel Gets Fined

 One of the hottest potatoes in Idaho is about beef and grazing rights. How am I putting these two together (hot potatoes and beef)? Is this food blending? I’m David Sparks and you’ll Marvel at the explanation. Three grazing allotments managed by Western Watersheds Project have been cancelled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Challis field office. Jon Marvel is the Western Watersheds founder and took the position back in the early 90’s that cattle being allowed to graze on public lands was a bad thing and has spent years fighting to prevent cattlemen from continuing a tradition that has gone on since the wild West began. Western Watersheds gained control of approximately 22,000 acres through gifting or purchase of the base property. They then applied for non-use of the permits repeatedly. The rules say you can apply for non-use permits for operator convenience for 3 years. In two of those years  they signed statements saying they were in the process of acquiring livestock. Western Watersheds went way beyond the 3 year rule and were cited earlier this year by the BLM for knowingly making false statements on grazing applications related to the land. Wally Butler, Range Management Specialist for The Idaho Farm Bureau, says the BLM decision was correct: “They were actually working the system rather than following the same set of regulations that every other operator is required to follow.”  Again, three grazing allotments managed by Western Watersheds have been cancelled , their management paid fines and Mr. Marvel would not comment when I tried called him.