Why is grazing permitted in wilderness areas?
Section 4(d)(4)(2) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 states “the grazing of livestock, where established prior to the effective date of this act, shall be permitted to continue subject to such reasonable regulations as are deemed necessary by the Secretary of Agriculture.” Congress in the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980 subsequently clarified the statutory language. The committee reports accompanying that bill contain guidelines, which BLM has since incorporated into its wilderness management policy. The report language specifies that wilderness designation cannot be used as a reason to reduce or phase out grazing. New improvements such as fences and spring developments are permissible where needed to protect resources, as opposed to raising grazing numbers. Yet a University of Arizona study published in the Journal of Range Management shows that in designated wilderness in Arizona, forage allocation for grazing has increased.
