Opinion ID: 171698
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Big Bowns Bench and Last Chance Allotments

Text: 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.