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NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-AZ-C010-2023-0023-EA
Project Name: Palmerita Ranch Allotment No. 00094 Permit Issuance Environmental Assessment

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Project Information

NEPA Number

DOI-BLM-AZ-C010-2023-0023-EA
Project Name

Palmerita Ranch Allotment No. 00094 Permit Issuance Environmental Assessment
Project Type

EA
NEPA Status

Completed - Completed
Lead Office

Kingman Field Office
Last Updated

Project Description

Livestock grazing is not currently authorized on the Palmerita Ranch Allotment. The allotment is allocated as available for livestock grazing through the Kingman Resource Management Plan, which incorporated the Lower Gila North Management Framework Plan. Past grazing permits incorporated use on all unfenced land ownerships controlled by the former permittee and were billed for use on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) -administered land on the basis of percent public land. The public land identifies the percentage of forage available on BLM-administered land, not acreage. 

The allotment has been used for livestock grazing since around 1900. The number of livestock on the allotment has varied over the years depending on rancher finances, livestock markets, and climatic conditions.Past permittees have run a cow-calf operation as well as a seasonal steer operation. Livestock were allowed to move throughout the allotment selecting use areas with water and usable forage. In 1994, the permittee and BLM agreed to the following seasons of use on the Santa Maria River and Big Sandy River areas of the allotment:
March 1 - October 31		        Rest (no use by domestic livestock)
November 1 - February 28  	Graze (use by domestic livestock)

The allotment has not been utilized since 1996 despite the authorization not expiring until 2001. The carrying capacity of the most recent permit was 99 cattle or 927 animal unit months (AUMs) with yearlong grazing use and seasonal rest for river areas.

The purpose of the action is to respond to the application submitted to the Kingman Field Office for a livestock grazing permit on the Palmerita Ranch Allotment. The BLM authorized officer will decide whether to issue a term grazing permit for this allotment, and if so what determine the terms and conditions necessary for permit issuance to comply with the BLM's statutory obligations.

What's New

The Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office issued a Final decision for this project on July 30, 2024.

The Decision includes responses to protests received on the Proposed Decision.

The Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office issued a Proposed decision and finding of no significant impacts on June 4, 2024 for this project.

The environmental assessment (EA) was available for review and comment through September 27, 2023. The EA and associated appendices are posted for review and comment on this webpage on the “Documents” page (see left navigation pane).

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Kingman Field Office has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) DOI-BLM-AZ-C010-2023-0023-EA for the Palmerita Ranch Allotment Grazing Permit Issuance located at the southern end of the Kingman Field Office boundary, just east of Alamo Lake State Park and 15 miles west of US Hwy 93 in La Paz and Mohave Counties, Arizona. The EA includes consideration of five alternatives which are as follows: Proposed Action to issue a grazing permit with adaptive management, Alternative B to permit grazing with the preexisting livestock grazing authorization terms and conditions, Alternative C which includes issuance of a grazing permit with grazing permitted with year-round upland use and with no river use, Alternative D which would include issuance of a grazing permit for ephemeral grazing with seasonal restrictions on the river pasture, and Alternative E which would permit no grazing on the allotment.

This EA discloses and analyzes the potential environmental consequences of these alternatives regarding whether to issue a livestock grazing permit to determine whether any significant impacts could result from implementation of the Proposed Action or any of the action alternatives.

Thank you for your continued interest in public land management within the Kingman Field Office.

Project Location

City	State/Territory	Zip Code	County(ies)
Salome	Arizona	85348	La Paz County

Application Information

Applicant

Tim Peterson
Program

Livestock Grazing
Sub-Program

Renew or Modify Grazing Permit

Project Dates

Start Date

6/23/2023
Decision Date

7/30/2024
NEPA Completion Date

6/5/2024
FONSI Date

6/4/2024

Project Office Information

Lead Office

Kingman Field Office
Offices

Kingman FO

Contacts

Contact 1 Name

Chris Bryan
Contact 1 Email

[email protected]
Contact 1 Phone

(928) 718-3700