Why is grazing bad for Utah lands?
The ongoing decline in grazing is unrelated to wilderness issues. Yet livestock grazing causes more damage to southern Utah’s natural resources than any other commercial activity. The following domestic livestock impacts have been documented on public lands in southern Utah: increased soil erosion; competition for forage with wildlife species; the introduction and proliferation of non-native plant species; the spread of disease to wildlife; damage to riparian areas and archaeological sites; deterioration of water quality; and the elimination of native predators such as wolves, bears, mountain lions, and coyotes.
