West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

purposes. Normally the BLM will authorize the requested amount of non-use on a short-termbasis. In some situations the BLM may temporarily authorize another qualified applicant tograze the amount of authorized non-use in an allotment, but this is seldom done.Grazing use of perennial vegetation in all allotments is expected to continue except wherethe permittee or lessee voluntarily relinquishes their lease or permit. Overall, livestockproducers have voluntarily reduced stocking rates for much of the 1990s, resulting in lesslivestock use than the lease or permit allows. Both cattle and sheep grazing have beenauthorized under existing biological opinions in desert tortoise habitat (see Appendix Q).Since 1992, BLM Barstow Field Office lessees with allotments classified as ephemeral/perennial have not requested, nor has grazing been authorized for, ephemeral forage ortemporary non-renewable (TNR) perennial forage. During the same period, lessees andpermittees in the BLM Ridgecrest Field Office with ephemeral/ perennial allotments haveroutinely requested ephemeral authorizations, and have requested and been authorized to useTNR perennial forage. The authorization of ephemeral sheep grazing is common in both areaswhen sufficient ephemeral forage production occurs, although the number of sheep has declinedover the last 10 years.Fewer range improvements have been installed in the last 10 years than in prior years.Installation of new improvements is based on a case-by-case analysis and available funding.Periodic and annual maintenance is required on existing facilities. Some range improvementsare located in designated wilderness areas, primarily on public lands administered by the BLMRidgecrest Field Office. Ongoing maintenance of existing improvements coupled with theaddition of new infrastructure has marginally increased demands for maintenance.The vast majority of grazing allotments is within habitat and/or designated critical habitatfor the desert tortoise. Table 3-44 lists the current grazing permits and leases within deserttortoise habitat in the planning area.Allotment Management Plans (AMPs) have been prepared for about 42 percent of theallotments. Most of the AMPs apply to Ridgecrest Field Office allotments.Table 3-45 presents information on each cattle and sheep grazing allotment. Appendix Oincludes a profile of each allotment, and a table detailing past livestock use of the allotment.Chapter 3 3-212