by Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) _ Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that decisions by the U.S. Forest Service to allow grazing on the Gila National Forest were made without public participation or consideration of endangered species such as the Mexican gray wolf.

Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians and Colorado-based Sinapu filed the lawsuit last week, saying the agency overlooked conflicts between wolf recovery and ranchers and as a result continues to contribute to the wolf's demise.

Melissa Hailey, director of Forest Guardians' grazing reform program, said the groups want to keep Gila forest officials from using a provision known as a categorical exclusion when considering grazing permits. A categorical exclusion allows the agency to forgo lengthy environmental documentation for actions that do not result in significant impacts.
The groups say categorical exclusions shouldn't be allowed because the forest falls within the wolf's recovery zone.
``The law is clear that the Forest Service cannot issue CEs in areas where grazing can harm lobos and other protected species, and the entire Gila is therefore off limits to this closed-door approach to public lands management,'' Hailey said.
The lawsuit asks the court to invalidate categorical exclusions issued on the forest since 2005. That would affect 13 grazing allotments that cover more than 260,000 acres.

The Gila Livestock Growers Association argues that the Forest Service was instructed under a 2005 congressional mandate to issue 10-year grazing permits through categorical exclusion as long as no management changes occurred.
If there are changes, the association says that's when the agency would do a thorough review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Laura Schneberger, president of the association, calls the lawsuit ``absurd.''

"This is a backdoor attempt to permanently force out of business people who have created endangered species habitat,'' she said. ``These are the very allotments where habitat has been created by the ranchers' excellent livestock grazing management.''

Federal biologists began releasing wolves on the Arizona-New Mexico border in 1998 to re-establish the species in part of its historic range after it had been hunted to the brink of extinction in the early 1900s.

The program has been criticized by both environmentalists and ranchers.

Rob Edward of Sinapu said environmental analysis is key to responsible management in wolf recovery areas. "Mexican wolves are fundamental to the health of what remains wild in the American Southwest,'' he said in a statement.

Catron County, New Mexico, Manager Bill Aymar argued that livestock also are a fundamental part of the communities surrounding the Gila.

"Even a blind pig could see removal of these cattle would have a terrible impact on the counties and communities in this region,'' he said.