Grazing public lands has become a highly controversial issue over the past two decades. This is because some people believe that grazing is beneficial for wildlife and the different plant species present. Then there are other people who believe that livestock grazing on public lands is harmful to wildlife and plant health. Therefore, they believe that it is actually doing more harm than good. What are public grazing lands? Public lands are properties that are not owned by private landowners, but are instead owned by the federal government. Ranchers are given permits or leases to graze their livestock on these government-owned lands. The government agency charged with the care and maintenance of these public lands is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). According to the BLM's website, their mission is to support the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. According to the BLM fact sheet, presented on their website, the BLM's goal is to ensure the long-term health and productivity of these lands and create multiple environmental benefits from healthy watersheds. The BLM also states that public lands, and the private ranches next to them, maintain open space in the rapidly growing West, provide habitat for wildlife, offer many recreational activities provided on public lands, and help preserve the character of the West rural. There is also a federal grazing tax that applies to the 16 Western states on public rangelands managed by the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service. This fee is adjusted annually and is calculated using a fo...... middle of paper ......nize, Perri. "Winning the War for the West." The Atlantic July 1999: 54. Gale Opposing views in context. Network. 6 April 2011.Mapes, Lynda V. "Grazing on public land: useful for farmers, but harmful to the habitat?". Seattle Times July 28, 2008: Page No. Access date (5 April 2011). National campaign for grazing on public lands. April 5, 2011. Reece, Myers. “The lawsuit calls into question federal grazing of livestock.” Flathead Lighthouse 21 Oct. 2010: N. pag. Date accessed (April 7, 2011).Stimpert, Marc. “Counterpoint: Opportunities Lost and Opportunities Gain: Separating Truth from Myth in the Western Breeding Debate.” Environmental Law 36.2 (2006): 481+. Academic expanded as soon as possible. Network. April 6. 2011.