08/03/05 Grazing no, dairy yes

A federal judge has told livestock owners that they have to end grazing on nearly 800 thousand acres of public land in the Jarbidge area. The Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project took the Bureau of Land Management to court over its handling of 28 grazing allotments claiming they were detrimental to sage grouse and other wildlife. US District Judge Lynn Winmill says the BLM was wrong when it claimed that it had increased grazing by eight percent. Winmill says it's more like 80 percent. The BLM issued a written statement yesterday saying that they are reviewing the judge's order which also calls for a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement before grazing will be considered. Cassia County commissioners have upheld their planning and zoning board's decision for a new dairy. In fact three fourths of the 12 hundred acre dairy farm would be in Twin Falls County but the dairy structures for nearly 63 hundred animals would be in Cassia County. Dairyman David Funk was challenged by some residents who appealed the planning and zoning board decision last May and he may also face some of them in district court because they indicated that's where they're going next. The Idaho Barley Commission is hosting a six-member barley trade team from Japan in Twin Falls, Gooding and Hagerman today. Japan is the largest export customer for US barley, buying more than 280 TMT from the US last year. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott