The Public Lands Council (PLC) reports that the Obama administration on Tuesday declared two new monument designations – 1.35 million acres at Bears Ears in Utah and 350,000 acres at Gold Butte in Nevada. Both designations were made unilaterally and despite overwhelming local opposition. PLC President and Utah rancher Dave Eliason criticized the outgoing administration for both their disregard for … Read More
NCBA & PLC Say BLM Released Flawed Planning Rule
The Bureau of Land Management has released a final version of BLM planning 2.0. Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association federal lands said this process radically alters federal land management planning and moves the agency away from its mandate to manage for multiple use on federal lands. “We are continuing to review … Read More
NCBA & PLC File Opening Brief in WOTUS Legal Battle
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC), along with other industry and municipal stakeholders, filed the opening brief in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals calling for the EPA and the Army Corps’ “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule to be invalidated. Tracy Brunner, NCBA president and Kansas cattle producer said subjectivity and egregious … Read More
Beltway Beef on BLM Wild Horse & Burro Act
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) Beltway Beef highlights commentary from NCBA members, leaders and staff each week. In this week’s audio we hear from Ethan Lane, executive director of NCBA Federal Lands and the Public Lands Council. He discusses the recent report by the Office of Inspector General that highlights significant flaws with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) … Read More
Sage Grouse Management Based on Inaccurate Science
One year after the announcement by the Department of Interior that a listing under the Endangered Species Act was not warranted for the greater sage grouse and the implementation of restrictive resource management plans for the species, the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association submitted a report to the agencies citing concerns with the methodology used. Ethan Lane, … Read More
1st Aerial Imaging Designed For Rangeland
TerrAvion has launched the first aerial imaging solution specifically designed for rangeland. The service provides current images and data that help cattle ranchers spot early-warning signs on invasive species, plant/vegetation health issues, irrigation problems, overgrazed areas and the like – so they can take action before emerging problems become big ones. Every week, TerrAvion takes hundreds of low-altitude flights to … Read More
Enviro Groups Hamper Endangered Species Conservation
According to the Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Center for Biological Diversity along with other radical environmental groups threatened to sue the Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service to force action on 417 proposed listings under the Endangered Species Act, all stemming from a massive lawsuit settlement brokered behind closed doors and … Read More
Endangered Species Act Again Challenged By Cattlemen
The Washington Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) has joined with Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) in challenging a federal regulation that imposes harsh Endangered Species Act restrictions for as many as 150 species that Congress did not intend to be automatically covered. In a petition with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the WCA and PLF demand repeal of a regulation that … Read More
Farm Bureau Seeks Block to Overreach on Sage Grouse
The American Farm Bureau Federation and Utah Farm Bureau Federation have asked a federal district court in Utah to overturn a host of illegal land-use restrictions hampering ranchers in the western states. The groups made the request as part of a motion to intervene on the side of the State of Utah in a lawsuit against the federal government. The … Read More
Senate Holds Oversight Hearing on Sage Grouse
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining held an oversight hearing on the Federal sage grouse plans and their impact to successful ongoing state management of the species. Brenda Richards, Owyhee County Idaho rancher and president of the Public Lands Council, testified on behalf of the PLC and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Ranchers across … Read More