Western Watersheds Project v. Ken Salazar

MEMORANDUM

Western Watersheds Project and others (collectively “WWP”) appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Kenneth Salazar, Secretary of the Interior and others (collectively the “Agencies”). WWP challenges the Agencies’ bison management in and around Yellowstone National Park under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (“IBMP”), adopted in 2000. The IBMP established a plan to adaptively manage Yellowstone bison as wild and free-ranging while also reducing the risk of transmission of brucellosis to Montana cattle. Our task in this case was made easier by the district court’s thorough and well-reasoned opinion. Reviewing the district court’s order de novo, see Or. Natural Desert Ass’n v. Bureau of Land Mgmt., 625 F.3d 1092, 1109 (9th Cir.2010), we affirm.

We hold that, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. § 4382 , the Agencies were not required to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement. WWP fails to show that new information concerning genetic diversity, changes in livestock grazing, the bison seroprevalence rate, development of a brucellosis vaccine, and risk of brucellosis transmission has affected the quality…