OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

For Immediate Release Peter Hamm 202-208-6416

February 3, 1997 Sheri Bell 303-239-3670

COLORADO PUBLIC LAND HEALTH WILL IMPROVE

THROUGH STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES APPROVED TODAY

A wide-ranging consensus exercise over the past year led to changes in standards for public land health and guidelines for livestock grazing approved by the Secretary.

After a year’s work by a wide range of diverse interests in Colorado, new standards and guidelines for healthy public lands in the state were approved Monday by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, with Colorado Governor Roy Romer’s support.

“Today, we move forward with a strong consensus for taking better care of the public lands,” Secretary Babbitt said. “After years of arguing, we are now moving to implement needed changes that have been agreed to by people from every part of the policy spectrum. These changes were recommended by the Bureau of Land Management [BLM] after intensive consultation with ranchers and environmentalists, academics and industry. It’s quite an accomplishment, and I want to thank all the members of the Resource Advisory Councils and other members of the public who worked to bring this to fruition.”

“We do not see today’s signing as the conclusion to our work,” said Acting BLM State Director Bob Abbey. “Rather, it is just the beginning of our efforts to work together with all stakeholders to improve the health of the nation’s public lands.”

The standards adopted include:

•ensuring healthy upland soils; protection and/or improvement of riparian systems;

•maintaining healthy, productive plant and animal communities on the land;

•maintaining or enhancing the habitat of threatened or endangered species;

•ensuring water quality meets minimum Colorado standards.

Livestock grazing guidelines adopted include calls for:

1•promotion of plant health;

•maintaining sufficient vegetation to protect soil from erosion;

•ensuring that range improvement projects are consistent with sustaining ecological functions;

•taking steps to avoid the spread of noxious weeds.

The BLM began operating under new grazing regulations over a year ago. Part of the agency’s charge was to develop standards for public land health and guidelines for livestock grazing. Today’s approval allows the amendments to 11 Resource Management Plans (RMPs) issued last November for each of 11 Colorado Resource Area Offices to move forward. In most cases, the standards and guidelines add to the existing plan decisions; in a few instances, decisions were modified or replaced. The three Colorado Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) were composed of 45 members from a variety of interests.

The decision at the state level was subject to a “consistency” review by Governor Roy Romer, who joined Secretary Babbitt today in accepting the state decision. The new standards and guidelines will go into effect immediately.

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