This appeal is brought by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ventana Wilderness Alliance (VWA). Notice is hereby given pursuant to 36 CFR 215.7 that the CBD and the VWA appeal the Decision Notices (DN) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) issued on November 1, 2001 by the Responsible Officials (RO) Acting Monterey District Ranger John Bradford and Forest Supervisor Jeanine Derby and which reauthorize continued livestock grazing on the ALDER CREEK, COZY COVE, GORDA, SALMON CREEK, SAN CARPOFORO allotment and to cancel grazing on the BUCKEYE,TWITCHELL and TORRE CANYON grazing allotments. Appellants request a remand of the DNs, and a stay of all livestock grazing until a valid final Environmental Impact Statement for all allotments is prepared that is in conformity with existing law.

Timeliness of Appeal

This appeal is filed in a timely manner. Under 36 CFR 215.13 this appeal must be filed within 45 days of the date of publication of legal notice. The DNs notify the public of an appeal deadline of December 22, 2001.

Standing of Appellants

Appellant Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is a non-profit conservation group with over 6000 members dedicated to protecting and restoring the deserts, rivers, forests and wildlife of the Western United States. CBD claims standing per 36 CFR 215.11 to participate in the Forest Service decision-making process based on its ongoing involvement with Los Padres forest management, and based on its involvement as an "interested public" in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process on these allotments. The CBD submitted comments on the Environmental Assessments for these grazing allotments on April 16, 2001. Many of CBD's members and staff regularly use this allotment for work, recreation, wildlife observation, scientific research, and other forest and grassland related activities.

Appellant Ventana Wilderness Alliance (VWA) is a non-profit conservation group composed of more than 160 dues paying members from all walks of life, a board of advisors and several corporate supporters. The VWA mission is to protect, preserve, enhance and restore the wilderness qualities and biodiversity of the public lands within the northern Santa Lucia Mountains. VWA claims standing per 36 CFR 215.11 to participate in the Forest Service decision making process based on its ongoing involvement with Los Padres forest management, and based on its involvement as an "interested public" in the NEPA process on these allotments. The VWA submitted scoping comments to these eight proposals on August 23, 1999. Comments on the eight Environmental Assessments for these grazing allotments were submitted on April 12, 2001, with an Addendum sent on April 16, 2001. Many VWA members regularly use these allotments for volunteer work, recreation, wildlife observation, scientific research, and other forest and grassland related activities.

Appellants’ members and staff are all U.S. taxpayers who have unwillingly borne the monetary and ecological cost of the taxpayer-subsidized federal grazing program on our public lands. Appellants find that livestock grazing is a land use that degrades and harms values and interests held by appellants. These decisions, by allowing this degrading activity to continue, significantly and negatively affect appellants’ interests and values by permitting livestock grazing in areas used and valued by members of the appellants’ organization. These decisions furthermore involve effects not analyzed in the project records that also directly and significantly degrade and harm public land uses and values for the appellants.

BACKGROUND

Table 1 summarizes the essential features of these allotments:-

Allotment	Acres	Special areas	Present use	Proposed use	Other actions
Alder Ck	2525	Wilderness MA 42, 48	5 horses yearlong	8 horses, yearlong	none
Buckeye	2,829	Wilderness, MA48 (Recreation)	vacant	20 feb-jun	Actual decision to maintain vacant
Cozy Cove	256	MA 42 (Recreation)	vacant	25 jan-apr	Add to MA 42, 2 spring exclosures
Gorda- Mill Ck	17,112	Wilderness in Mill Unit	25 apr-aug	35 feb-jun
Gorda-Pacific V.			50 apr-oct	40 apr-aug	1/4 mile + 450 ft of new fences, move corrals, protect Native Amer. site
Gorda-Plaskett			30 apr-oct	35 feb-jul
Gorda-Prewitt			20 apr-oct	45 feb-jul	Divide into 2 past
Salmon Ck	360	MA 42 (Recreation)	vacant	4 yearlong	none
San Carpoforo	3,570 (5696)	Wilderness, MA 42, 48	118 yearlings Nov-May