Green Mountain Common Allotment, Wyoming -- Photo Essay by Mike Hudak

Green Mountain Common Allotment
Managed by Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Lander Field Office, WY

September 2001

Photo essay by Mike Hudak, author of
Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching

Greater sage grouse once occupied much of the American West with their pre-livestock population estimated at 2 million individuals. By the early 21st century that population was estimated at 140,000 and declining. The half million-acre Green Mountain Common Allotment in central Wyoming contains some of the best sage grouse habitat remaining in the United States. Yet even here the environmental conditions that support grouse populations continue to degrade from impacts of coalbed methane development and ranching.

The allotment is also home to several herds of native wildlife: pronghorn antelope, mule deer, elk, and moose. According to the BLM, mule deer herds, especially, have been low in recent years due to hot dry weather, low vegetative production and heavy domestic livestock use that has resulted in poor habitat conditions.

My photos and observations here stem from a visit to the allotment in mid-September 2001.

Green Mountain Common Allotment, Wyoming. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Drought here began in 2000 when annual precipitation in nearby Jeffrey City failed to reach 9". On November 30th of that year Jack Kelly, manager of the BLM’s Lander Field Office, wrote a letter to permittees and interested public stating that continued drought in 2001 would likely cause delayed turnout, shortened grazing seasons, reduced stocking levels and possibly no grazing in areas hardest hit in year 2000.

From January through July of 2001 total precipitation for Jeffrey City stood at 3.51", 55% of the long-term average. True to its word of the previous year, the BLM delayed turnout of cattle by four to six weeks—until around June 7th and then mandated their early removal.

Riparian area, Green Mountain Common Allotment, Wyoming. Photo by Mike Hudak.

As the drought worsened in 2001 cattle searching for more forage soon invaded a region of the allotment that was not supposed to be grazed until mid-August. An inspection of the area by BLM on July 25th revealed that stubble height in these riparian areas was well below the 4" standard that was supposed to exist at the end of the grazing season NOT AT THE BEGINNING! Notice was mailed by the BLM to ranchers on August 4th that they needed to remove their cattle by August 22nd. Delays pushed the removal date back to August 31st.

West Crooks Creek seen here is one of the riparian areas hard hit by trespass cattle.

Photo at UTM coordinates 0263888/4689569.

The late Ray Corning, a limnologist, who had lived in the area for many years stated in essays that the allotment is losing its humus and humic materials—decomposing materials that must be constantly renewed by growth of surface plants. To provide that material BLM requires a minimum 4" stubble height at the end of the grazing season. Ray felt that 6"–12" would be better. From five to eight years are then required for this remaining dead vegetation to decompose and become part of the humus layer that acts as a sponge to restrict movement of water out of watersheds.

Hummocks formed by cattle trampling of riparian area. West Crooks Creek, Green Mountain Common Allotment, Wyoming. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Cattle trampling in wetlands facilitate erosion which leads to formation of hummocks as seen here at West Crooks Creek. In a latter stage of decline, when all the humic material has eroded, only dried, white hummocks will remain. This will indicate that the wetland has changed from one capable of storing water for long periods to one capable of merely slowing the movement of individual precipitation events for a short time.

As a wetland’s ability to hold water declines so to does its production of sedges and grasses. And as cover declines so to does sage grouse production as birds become increasingly vulnerable to predators.

Photo at UTM coordinates 0263888/4689569.

Epilogue

Green Mountain Common Allotment
Wildlife Habitat or Livestock Pasture?

BLM’s management plan for the allotment allocates forage for livestock and wildlife as follows:

Cattle/Sheep:   81.5%
Wild Horses:     6.1%
Deer:            5.1%
Antelope:        3.5%
Elk:             3.1%
Moose:           0.2%

With so much forage going to livestock production it’s no surprise that wildlife populations would be depressed even if there had not been several recent years of drought.

Drought continued into 2002 and conditions on the allotment worsened. That August, Ray Corning, who for the previous six years had participated in the collaborative management of the allotment as a member of the “Interested Public,” sent a letter to Jack Kelly, field manager of BLM’s Lander Field Office. In his letter, Corning expressed disappointment with the collaborative process as a means to improve the allotment’s wildlife habitat. He had now concluded that the efforts of environmental advocates would be better spent working with high levels of government, with politicians and with the public. I encourage you to read his entire letter on the RangeBiome website.

These are your public lands. How well do you think those responsible for managing livestock grazing on the allotment are doing at protecting the region for wildlife? Please convey your thoughts to officials at

BLM
Lander Field Office
1335 Main Street
Lander, WY 82520

Phone: (307) 332-8400
Fax: (307) 332-2318
https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/field_offices/Lander.html

Letters to newspapers are also an effective way to express your views to resource managers:

Riverton Ranger
P.O. Box 993
421 E Main St
Riverton, WY 82501

Phone: (307) 856-2244
Details of letter submission: http://dailyranger.com/

Casper Star-Tribune
P.O. Box 80
Casper, WY 82602-0080

http://www.casperstartribune.net/
Phone: (307) 266-0500
Email your letter: letters@trib.com