Senate Republicans Act to Stabilize Public Lands Ranching

Washington, D.C. (October 1, 2003) – U.S. ranchers grazing cattle on public lands may be seeing some relief from the current administrative backlog disrupting the cycle of grazing permits. Efforts by Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), with help from Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) resulted in a provision for grazing permit protection included in the Senate fiscal 2004 Interior Appropriations bill. Senators Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) were critical in the success of the effort. The Bush Administration also provided key support for the ranchers. 

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) are now working with members of the House to reiterate the importance of having this provision included in the final Interior Appropriations Act.

Members of the NCBA and PLC have been working to secure long-term legislation to prevent interruption of grazing permits while federal agencies struggle to meet environmental documentation obligations. “This would provide ranchers with a much more solid business environment and the assurance that they can maintain their grazing operations without interruption for a period of five years,” says Jeff Eisenberg, director of federal lands for NCBA and executive director of PLC.

Long-term security for grazing permits will ease some of the stress affecting public land ranching operations. Should the Senate provision make it into the final appropriations legislation, ranchers will not have to incur the financial or emotional burden of fighting to get permits renewed at a time when the government is struggling to get its job done. 

“This effort would not have been possible without the direct participation of NCBA and PLC members throughout the West,” says Eisenberg.  “In particular, calls made by our members in North Dakota and New Mexico were critical to realizing success at this juncture. This serves as a good example of how efforts which benefit individual states can strengthen the entire industry.”

PLC and NCBA are committed to working further with Congress and the Administration to identify ways in which the Forest Service and BLM can successfully tackle its backlog of environmental compliance for grazing permits while also respecting the men and women who have worked the land in the West for generations.