KETCHUM, Idaho — The settlement of a conservation group’s lawsuit has forced a minimum two-year suspension of livestock grazing within two scenic allotments along the Salmon River.

The 2016 lawsuit, filed in federal district court by Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project, alleged the U.S. Forest Service allowed ranchers to violate environmental laws and disregard provisions of the forest plan governing the Upper and Lower East Fork allotments on the river.

As a result, stream health standards have been compromised, affecting endangered salmon, steelhead and bull trout, the lawsuit alleged.

Grazing organizations that have followed the case, however, argue it’s yet another example of conservationists seeking to overwhelm the Forest Service with litigation, seeking to end public lands grazing through “death by 1,000 cuts.”

“What we’ve learned over and over again is it is never going to be enough for these (environmental) groups,” said Ethan Lane, executive director with the Washington, D.C.-based Public Lands Council. “The only thing they’re interested in is removing human activity.”

Under the July 3 settlement, cattle will be kept off the allotments this year and in 2018, and they won’t be allowed to return until stream health standards are met. The Forest Service also agreed to pay the plaintiffs $35,000 in legal fees.

Four ranchers had leases within the two allotments, grazing an unspecified number of cattle. According to the lawsuit, the Forest Service renewed grazing permits in 2012 and 2013, even though the ranchers allowed cattle to trespass into closed areas, continue grazing during unauthorized times and overgraze vegetation.

“For a really long time, the Forest Service on the East Fork has been managing livestock grazing really to optimize ranching operations at the expense of fish habitat, and now they’ll have to reverse that calculus and prioritize conservation of stream habitat for native fish first,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds,

The allotments are within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and portions of them lie within the new White Clouds Wilderness.

Idaho Cattle Association policy director Karen Williams said both allotments are eligible under the wilderness legislation for voluntary buy-outs to permanently retire grazing allotments.

“This is how the extremists are able to create what are called willing sellers,” Williams said, adding at least one of the permit holders plans to sell.

If ranches fail due to the loss of public lands grazing, Williams said the private ranch land could be subdivided for housing.

Kirk Flannigan, area ranger for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, said the ranchers were involved in settlement discussions and had ample notice to make arrangements for their cattle before the agreement was finalized.