After more than two years of allowing Abelardo and Dan Martinez to illegally graze cattle on Forest Service lands, the Forest Service finally cancelled his grazing permit last August and issued a notice to impound his cattle. Forest Guardians, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, the Arizona Wildlife Federation and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility have been urging the agency to take action since last fall, first with a letter requesting immediate action, followed by a 60-day notice of intent to sue (sent May 4, 2005) after the agency failed to act. (See Recent Press in side box)

Since the permit was cancelled, Martinez cattle have grazed illegally on the Pleasant Valley and Hickey Grazing allotment, damaging the land and feeding for free at public expense. The allotments are in Greenlee County, northeast of the town of Clifton, just south of the San Francisco River. These allotments included habitat for the Chiricahua leopard frog, loach minnow, and spikedace, all listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Read about the ecological impact..