Bordering Yellowstone National Park, the 937,000-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is a spectacular piece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem mostly in Montana, with a small portion in Wyoming. The Wilderness is home to Montana’s tallest peak—12,799-foot Granite Peak—which towers above the Beartooth Plateau, plus other rugged peaks, hundreds of small lakes in glacial cirques, alpine meadows, active glaciers, and dense forests. Grizzly bears, moose, elk, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pikas, wolves, and other native wildlife make their home here.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Forest Service (FS) has proposed to re-open two long-vacant grazing allotments in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness to cattle grazing as part of its “East Paradise Range Allotment Management Plan.” The allotments are steep and unsuitable for cattle grazing, and have been closed to grazing for 20 years.

Additionally, the FS proposes to re-issue four other allotments (including a third that is currently closed) in roadless areas adjacent to and proposed for addition to the Wilderness. These public lands are low-elevation critical habitat for native wildlife. The FS should protect the Wilderness and surrounding lands by closing all six allotments to cattle grazing.

Comments are due December 17, so please take action today!

Allowing cattle grazing in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness would create substantial negative impacts to the Wilderness and its watersheds and native wildlife. The FS's own biologist concluded that re-opening these allotments would likely harm grizzly bears. Additionally, cattle grazing would directly reduce native forage available for wildlife, damage vegetation and riparian areas, degrade water quality, and spread invasive weeds.

Fencing and water developments in the allotments would adversely impact existing habitats and protected species, and the FS’s environmental assessment (EA) is unclear whether motorized tools and equipment would be used for their construction/reconstruction.

It isn’t right to compromise the magnificent Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, which belongs equally to all Americans across the nation, to benefit local ranching operations. Please urge the Forest Service to keep these vacant allotments in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness closed and select Alternative 1 instead, the No Action Alternative.