RESOURCES PANEL APPROVES FORAGE IMPROVEMENT ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 9, 1997 - Congress took one more step toward increasing stability for western family ranchers late yesterday when the House Resources Committee by a bipartisan majority approved the Forage Improvement Act of 1997, according to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council.

   "We're pleased with the outcome, especially with how quickly Rep. Bob Smith has moved the process forward and how hard he has worked to maintain a broad base of support," said NCBA Federal Lands Committee Chairman Jeff Menges, Morenci, Ariz.

   House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Smith, R-Ore., and 30 cosponsors recently introduced the bill, HR 2493. Smith is also a member of the Resources Committee.

   "We will be working hard to continue moving the bill through the House and secure a vote before Congress adjourns," said PLC President Brent Atkin, St. George, Utah. A large number of non-western votes will be needed to approve the legislation, Atkin said.

   The committee accepted amendments by Smith and Rep. Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho to clarify several sections of the bill. Amendments to install a new grazing fee formula and to remove Resource Advisory Councils were defeated.

   The bill is expected to be considered by the full House before the end of the congressional session.

   Initiated in 1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the marketing organization and trade association for America's one million cattle farmers and ranchers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry.

   The Public Lands Council represents permittees who hold leases and permits to graze livestock on the federal lands in the West administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service. It also coordinates the federal-lands policies of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, American Sheep Industry Association and the Association of National Grasslands. PLC is dedicated to the principle of sound management of federal lands for grazing and other multiple use purposes.