09/02/05 Simplot Co, Marvel have grazing agreement

Jon Marvel's Western Watersheds Project filed a lawsuit against the BLM and five weeks ago won a court decision that temporarily ended grazing on 800 thousand acres of public land the Jarbidge district. A federal judge in Boise agreed with most of Marvel's contentions that the BLM didn't follow its own management plans but emphasized grazing at the expense of sage grouse and other wildlife. Simplot spokesman Fred Zerza said they were 'at zero' after the July 29th court ruling so they negotiated with Marvel's group. In the end Simplot gets 90 to 95 percent of the grazing rights but will change its patterns to protect sage grouse habitat. ZERZA "So there will be some management changes. One of the key issues is an environmental impact statement, a grazing EIS for that area and we certainly support that. We have no concerns about doing that because we think that it will confirm that our present grazing practices are proper." Other permittees in the same case are not a part of this agreement. Simplot cannot override the agreement through any future state or federal legislation and Western Watersheds will back off lawsuits against Simplot at Jarbidge. The BLM still has to have its say and so does US District Judge Lynn Winmill. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott