Cattlemen Take a Seat in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director’s Chair

Nebraska ranchers Craig Utter and Mike Kelly are working in Washington D.C. this week, spending a few days in the shoes of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Steve Williams. This rare opportunity was set up by the innovative "Walk a Mile in My Boots" program, which gives U.S. cattlemen and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) employees an opportunity to conduct a job exchange.  The program was conceived in a joint effort by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the FWS.

“When we heard about the program, we decided that if we’re going to do it, we wanted to work with the FWS Director in Washington D.C., and somehow NCBA made that happen!” says Utter.  “The Director has blocked off two days of his busy schedule this week to work with us directly, which shows his genuine commitment to ranchers and the success of this program.”

The ranchers met one-on-one with Director Williams, going through priority items on his desk, discussing what it’s like day-to-day in Washington D.C. Included on the packed agenda was a briefing on fisheries and habitat conservation, a law enforcement briefing, and a national wildlife refuges briefing at the FWS headquarters.  Utter and Kelly are also meeting with FWS employees to discuss endangered species issues and are speaking at a presentation on the “Walk a Mile in My Boots Program,” where FWS employees can learn about the life of a rancher, and find out how they can sign up for an exchange.

“This visit gives us direct contact with top FWS officials, and we continue to reiterate how committed U.S. ranchers are to caring for the future of our land and its resources for our livelihood,” says Kelly, this year’s winner of the National Environmental Stewardship Award. “Our family has been in the ranching business for more than 100 years. We live off the land and are dedicated to protecting and nourishing this land for generations to come.”

“There are quite a few myths out there -- miscommunication between FWS and cattlemen,” says Utter. “Most people I have talked to here are interested in a lot of the same things we are, such as how biodiversity makes for a healthy operation and environment. These myths can be cleared up with one-on-one communications like this.”

“Some FWS workers out there believe we ranchers are a detriment to the environment, and that’s just not true,” says Utter. “We need to change that. The first thing we would like them to see is how much we care about our property and love what we do.  As long as we make a living we will be there protecting our property and being good stewards.”

The ranchers noted that the FWS employees they met with were very excited about the possibility of an exchange program and the opportunity to visit a working ranch.

“It’s important to understand how much work goes into running a ranch,” says Kelly. “We hope that the Director can complete the exchange and come out to our ranches in Nebraska. We have made tentative plans for a visit this spring.”

“Everybody seems really excited about this program at the FWS offices, and hopefully they can take that energy and spread the word, and the program will continue to grow,” says Utter. “We hope others out there in the cattle industry take part. We have been overwhelmed by the interest that FWS employees seem to have in partnership programs, instead of having a mandate on the land, which is great to hear.”

Future plans for exchange programs continue to grow, and this winter there are plans in order for California, Kansas, Nevada, Arizona, and Puerto Rico.

Cattlemen from across the country can sign up for this exchange program. For more information on how you or cattle producers in your area can sign up, contact NCBA at 202-347-0228 or go to the new website: walkamile.fws.gov.