05/12/05 Federal judge to decide grazing future

US District Judge Lynn Winmill is expected to issue a ruling within a matter of weeks in an environmental group's lawsuit against the Idaho BLM. Western Watersheds Project wants to end 30 grazing allotments on 800 thousand acres in the Jarbidge district. Jon Marvel's group contents that the BLM violated its own guidelines and failed to protect sage grouse, antelope, bighorn sheep and other species and habitat. Judge Winmill will hear legal arguments in Boise on Tuesday and will likely decide by the end of the month if he'll grant WWP an injunction. If that happens more than half of the Jarbidge area would be closed to grazing. Speaking of judges, Boise attorney Bill Myers would be a good one says Senator Mike Crapo. Like everyone else who follows the filibuster controversy Crapo is waiting to see if Myers can get a Senate confirmation vote to a seat on the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. MYERS "If we were to disqualify every attorney from serving as a judge who had clients who had cases with which we disagree there would be very few competent attorneys who would ever be allowed to be considered for the judiciary." Myers can probably get a majority of the votes but there's no way to garner 60 Senate votes to hold of a threatened filibuster when his name and nine other nominees come up for confirmation. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott