Ranchers Promote Benefits of Grazing at Public Lands Council Legislative Conference

Ranchers Promote Benefits of Grazing at Public Lands Council Legislative Conference

Russell Nemetz
Russell Nemetz
Federal lands ranchers from across the West attended the 2019 Public Lands Council (PLC) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. The event, which wrapped up Tuesday afternoon, was a platform for official association business and featured updates from congressional and agency officials.

The 2019 Legislative Conference featured speakers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior as well as elected officials such as Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01) and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY-At Large).

"The challenges cattle and sheep producers face while operating on federal lands are vastly different than that of traditional operations," said Ethan Lane, PLC Executive Director. "This week provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of grazing to individuals we work with in Washington – from our success as conservation partners to our role in fire prevention, the industry is instrumental in federal land management."

Attendees will spend the remainder of the week on Capitol Hill visiting with congressional offices to highlight the critical role of livestock grazing in maintaining healthy ecosystems, preserving wildlife habitat, and preventing catastrophic wildfire on western landscapes.

"With a large number of freshman in Congress, cattle and sheep producers have their work cut out for them as they hit the Hill through the remainder of the week," said Lane. "My hope is that the western cattle and sheep producers who joined us this week will use this opportunity as a platform to begin a relationship with leaders who may have questions about public lands ranching. Our industry is complex – we know that – but we are here to help cut through the confusion and drill down to the importance of grazing to western landscapes."

To learn more about the PLC, visit www.publiclandscouncil.org.

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