Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
MSLF Communications Dept.
Carina Constancio
(303)-292-2021
PRO-REGULATION GROUPS GET HANDED A LOSS AS COURT DECISION UPHOLDS THE RIGHTS OF COLORADO SHEEP RANCHERS
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (March 8, 2024) —Mountain States Legal Foundation received a significant triumph for our clients, who are Colorado sheep ranchers, in their pursuit of protecting property rights and the delicate balance between conservation and land use. The issue in Wildearth Guardians v. U.S. Forest Service involved whether the U.S. Forest Service could allow land in Rio Grande National Forest to be used for ranching domestic sheep versus leaving the land only to wild bighorn. Anti-ranching groups complained that the Forest Service did not consider the right things when allowing ranching near bighorn. But the federal court held that the Forest Service acted reasonably in light of the information it had available when it authorized the ranching. In the case, Mountain States intervened on behalf of several ranchers, the Colorado Farm Bureau Federation, and the Colorado Wool Growers Association. And we are thrilled by the good result for our clients.
Official ruling from the District Court of Colorado, “The Court finds that the [U.S. Forest] Service’s actions were not arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law, and that the Service did not violate NEPA or the APA.”
The court’s ruling acknowledged the Forest Service’s conscientious efforts in balancing the needs of domestic sheep grazing with the considerations for preserving the native bighorn sheep populations in the Rio Grande National Forest, a delicate and complex challenge that has persisted for nearly a century.
Mountain States Senior Attorney Ivan London said, “This victory not only upholds the rights of our clients but also reinforces our commitment to fostering responsible land use practices that consider both economic interests and conservation needs. We know that our clients—not the big-government, anti-ranching groups—are the true stewards of the land.”
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Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) is a nonprofit, public-interest legal foundation established in 1977. MSLF is dedicated to individual liberty, limited and ethical government, and second amendment rights. MSLF defends its clients through pro bono litigation, primarily against the federal government, in defense of constitutional liberties and the rule of law. With its litigation MSLF seeks victory for its clients at the highest level possible, establishment of binding legal precedents to benefit millions of Americans, and education of the American public on the threat to their liberties that unrestrained government presents.