Opinion ID: 171698
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Allotments

Text: Within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are three allotments established by the United States Department of the Interior as lands designated for livestock grazing. This appeal arises from a dispute as to who is the proper grazing permit holder for these allotments.
On June 29, 2000, Intervenors Grand Canyon Trust and Canyonlands Grazing Corporation (collectively Canyonlands) entered into an agreement with Brent Robinson, the then existing permit holder for the Clark Bench allotment, that he would either relinquish his grazing preference and permit to the BLM, or alternatively transfer his preference to Canyonlands, in exchange for compensation. Aplt.App. 829-31. Following a proposal by Canyonlands to relinquish grazing rights voluntarily on the Clark Bench allotment, the BLM initiated an environmental assessment of that allotment. Aplt.App. 1331; see also Stewart v. Kempthorne, 2:06CV209 TC, 2008 WL 80252, at  1 (D.Utah Jan.7, 2008); see also Aplt.App. 300, 404-05 (testimony of Mr. Willard Hedden representing Canyonlands) (referencing agreement between the BLM and Canyonlands to submit offers of relinquishment and noting that conditions applied to the agreement). On November 30, 2001, the BLM issued notice in the Federal Register that it intended to begin an environmental assessment of the Clark Bench allotment to determine whether it was appropriate to retire grazing on that land if Canyonlands voluntarily relinquished its AUMs to the BLM. Notice of Intent to Amend Plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, 66 Fed.Reg. 59,812, (Nov. 30, 2001); Aplt.App. 844-78. On April 15, 2002, Canyonlands sent a letter to the BLM formally withdrawing its offer to relinquish its grazing preference in response to the BLM's requirement that it do so prior to initiating a land-use plan amendment process. Aplt.App. 1092-93. The BLM acknowledged this withdrawal on May 24, 2002. Stewart, 2008 WL 80252, at . Canyonlands filed its grazing application with the BLM on January 29, 2003. Aplt.App. 1101-09. Finally, on March 6, 2003, the BLM issued a grazing permit for the Clark Bench allotment to Canyonlands. Aplt.App. 1117. Meanwhile, Plaintiffs Trevor Stewart, Worth Brown, James Brown, and William Alleman sought individual grazing permits on the Clark Bench allotment, and filed their respective applications with the BLM. Aplt.App. 884-89 (Mr. Trevor Stewart filed on January 22, 2002); Aplt.App. 1121-22 (Mr. Worth Brown filed on March 18, 2003); Aplt.App. 1123-24 (Mr. James Brown filed on April 7, 2003); Aplt.App. 1126-27 (Mr. William Alleman filed on May 19, 2003). On September 26, 2003, the BLM denied Mr. Stewart's grazing application because Canyonlands held the permit pursuant to its preference for the allotment, and no additional livestock forage was available on the Clark Bench Allotment. Aplt.App. 1128-30. On March 15, 2006, the BLM denied the remaining three grazing applications for the same reasons. Aplt.App. 152-56, 157-62, 163-67.
On November 26, 2001, Canyonlands entered into an agreement with Franklin O'Driscoll, permit holder for the Last Chance allotment, whereby Mr. O'Driscoll would transfer his entire grazing preference for the Last Chance allotment to Canyonlands in exchange for compensation. Aplt.App. 841-43. Canyonlands then applied for the grazing preference and a new grazing permit for the Last Chance allotment on November 27, 2001. Aplt.App. 896-905. On November 29, 2001, Canyonlands agreed to transfer a portion of the Last Chance allotment to H. Dell LeFevre in exchange for Mr. LeFevre's entire preference in the Big Bowns Bench allotment. Aplt.App. 906-11, 890-95. Before the BLM would approve any of these transfers, Mr. O'Driscoll was required to resolve his outstanding trespass fees with the BLM. Aplee. Br. 7; Aplt.App. 516. To facilitate the transfers, Canyonlands paid Mr. O'Driscoll's trespass fees to the BLM in the amount of $3,371.20 two days prior to the approval of the transfers. Aplt.App. 678-79. In exchange, Canyonlands acquired all stray cattle remaining on the Last Chance allotment. Aplt. Br. 7; Aplt.App. 440-41, 516-18. The BLM approved the preference transfers between Canyonlands and Mr. O'Driscoll and Canyonlands and Mr. LeFevre on January 30, 2002. Aplt.App. 891, 897, 907. Similar to the arrangement with the BLM regarding the Clark Bench allotment, Canyonlands conditionally relinquished its grazing preference to the BLM so that the BLM could conduct an environmental assessment for the two allotments. Stewart, 2008 WL 80252, at ; Aplt.App. 912-1012. Canyonlands withdrew its offers to relinquish grazing permits on the two allotments on April 15, 2002, Aplt.App. 1092-93, and the BLM acknowledged this withdrawal on May 24, 2002, Stewart, 2008 WL 80252, at . The BLM issued grazing permits for the Big Bowns Bench and Last Chance allotments to Canyonlands on February 11, 2003. Aplt.App. 1110-14. Meanwhile, Mr. LeFevre filed a grazing application for the Big Bowns Bench allotment and a portion of the Last Chance allotment on April 1, 2002, Aplt.App. 1090-91, despite having previously transferred his interest in Big Bowns Bench to Canyonlands, Aplt.App. 890-95. Mr. Worth Brown and Mr. James Brown did the same. Aplt.App. 1121-22; 1123-24. Additionally, Mr. Wayne Phillips filed a grazing application just for the Last Chance allotment. Aplt.App. 1094-95. The BLM denied Mr. LeFevre's and Mr. Phillips's applications on September 26, 2003. Aplt. App. 1131-33; 1134-36. The BLM denied Mr. Worth Brown's and Mr. James Brown's applications on March 15, 2006. Aplt.App. 157-62; 163-67.