Wasatch Plateau Sheep Grazing

On June 19, 2001 the Manti-La Sal National Forest published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register (Vol. 66, No. 118) for issuance of 42 Term Grazing Permits that would authorize grazing on 31 sheep allotments. Due to other priorities, the assessment has been delayed but the Forest is initiating action to proceed with the assessment at this time. The project analysis area is located on top of the Wasatch Plateau approximately 9 miles east of Ephraim, Utah and approximately 16 miles west of Castle Dale, Utah, between the Price River drainage on the north and Mooseneah Peak on the south. The need for this analysis is to meet direction specified by Section 504 of Pub. L. 104-19 (The Rescission Act of 1995) and bring grazing in compliance with Forest Plan direction, applicable laws, regulation and policy. The selected alternative, associated mitigations and management strategies will be implemented through the Term Grazing Permit and a specific allotment management plan. The area being analyzed is National Forest System lands where grazing is authorized by permit. This involves approximately 171,000 acres of which 118,000 acres are suitable for sheep grazing. The permitted number of livestock is 33,382 head of sheep that generally graze from July 1 to September 30 for 30,587 animal unit months. The proposed action is to continue livestock grazing with modification of the permitted number of sheep and inclusion of additional management requirements in Term Grazing Permits. (Final permitted number of sheep, by allotment, is displayed on Table A.)