Cattle are poised to graze on a controversial, 30,500-acre swath of land near Bondurant and the Gros Ventre Range this fall, pending an ongoing legal dispute.
A federal judge on Tuesday denied an environmental nonprofit’s request for a temporary restraining order to prevent grazing on the allotments, which are on the Pinedale District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and have not seen livestock in the past decade. The organization also sought a prohibition on grazing while its case is adjudicated.
The suit, filed by Western Watersheds Project, stemmed from concerns about conflicts with large carnivores, including grizzly bears and wolves, and a review process that relied on an environmental assessment from 1978. Kelly Rankin, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, found that the organization did not prove that it was likely to prevail in court on its claims of an inadequate review process, or that the grazing pending the legal tussle would cause irreparable harm.
“Consequently, the balance of equities and public interest factors weigh in favor of denying the request,” Rankin wrote.
At issue is whether 500 to 550 cow-calf pairs should graze this fall in four livestock grazing allotments known as the Elk Ridge Complex. The land, nestled in the Green River Basin between the Gros Ventre Range and Wind River Range, has not seen livestock grazing since 2016, when Western Watersheds Project and other conservation organizations bought out the existing permit for grazing sheep. The buyout aimed to prevent the spread of disease between domestic and bighorn sheep, as well as to reduce conflicts between livestock and large carnivores.
The allotments sat vacant until last year, when the Dollar Lake Fire burned about 19,500 acres in the Upper Green, including 15,000 acres permitted for grazing. Because of the fire, forest officials allowed grazing in the complex last year, said Coke Landers, president of the Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association.
This year, as part of the annual operating instructions for the Pinedale District, forest officials permitted grazing on the allotments between mid-August and mid-October of 2026 and 2027.
CJ Adams, a Bridger-Teton spokesperson, declined to comment on the decision because of pending litigation. The decision, signed by Pinedale District Ranger Kate Olsen on June 8, came days before the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, announced plans to “restore grazing” on national forests.
Western Watersheds Project cried foul on the Elk Ridge decision, arguing that reintroducing livestock to the allotments would have a significant impact to the land, vegetation and wildlife and, as such, warranted a full environmental review, said Erik Molvar, the group’s executive director. The organization filed a lawsuit earlier this month.
“The Forest Service has been very dismissive of their obligations to do the environmental assessment,” he said.
In the time since the environmental assessment, grizzly bears were listed as threatened, wolves have expanded their range, and the Bridger-Teton published its 1990 forest plan.
“A lot has changed in the last 50 years,” Molvar said. “You can’t just reach back 50 years in the past and grab an analysis.”
Attorneys representing the forest argued that the review process — which included a 1978 environmental assessment on grazing in the complex, an updated consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 2026 environmental compliance review — constituted a proper evaluation. The Fish and Wildlife Service found that the anticipated effects of grazing in the complex fell within the “permissible scope,” including effects on grizzly bears and other protected species, according to court documents.
The court heard arguments on the temporary restraining order on Aug. 19. At this stage in the legal proceedings, the court did not find that the forest’s reliance on the 1978 document was improper, Rankin wrote. Because Western Watersheds Project did not demonstrate that forest officials “shirked their environmental duties,” the court could not conclude that “irreparable harm” would result from grazing this season. Prohibiting grazing would also harm permit holders, the court found.
“We’re glad [Rankin] ruled the way he did, that’s for dang sure,” Landers said.
Ranchers will move their cattle onto the allotments in the next two to three weeks, he said.
Western Watersheds Project was still deciding whether to appeal the ruling by press time. If the organization doesn’t appeal, there will be cattle on the complex this fall. The case still could move forward to adjudication, but that would take more time, Molvar said.
These small battles between conservationists and ranchers have been going on for years. What’s new is climate change, and what it’s doing to Wyoming’s Steppe.
The Steppe climate is characterized by cold semi-arid conditions with limited precipitation, experiencing long, cold winters and hot summers. It also has cryptobiotic soil, which is a type of soil that contains living organisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae that help stabilize the soil and retain moisture. In Canyonlands, for example, there are signs warning hikers to stay on trails because once compressed, cryptobiotic soil can take 50 years to recover. Wyoming’s Steppe has lots this kind of moisture preserving soil.
Climate change makes cattle grazing on fragile soils damaging to soil crust. Undisturbed crust is essential not only for stabilizing the soil, retaining moisture, and providing nutrients, it is necessary for plant growth. Native plants die and invasive species take over when cattle, or humans, walk on it. Current drought conditions weaken soils even more.
Invasive species like knapweed, cheatgrass and Russian olive can take over from native species when Wyoming’s cryptobiotic soil is compressed. These invasive plants are well-adapted to disturbed environments and can outcompete native flora for resources.
Changing climate conditions, including drought, increased aridity, and lowering water tables used for irrigation, highlight the fragility of 20th century ranching business models that include use of public lands. It may be these business models are becoming unviable. Only time will tell.
These small contests between ranching and conservation are likely to turn the two into partners if Wyoming’s visionary leaders can get out of the mudpit of polemicized politics. My guess is the youngest generation of ranch kids attending, or attended Wyoming’s beleaguered University are already working on solutions. I hope their voices find a platform in the public sphere.
Elk ridge allotment with 1000 cows on it? The irony, it needs renamed maybe cowpie allotment?