We need to keep an eye on H.R. 657. How can the BLM remove wild horses because of drought or lack of forage, then consider increasing livestock grazing permits to 20 years?
Source: KFYR.com
Grazing Improvement Act Passes House Natural Resources Committee
WASHINGTON (June 12, 2013) – The House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources today advanced the Grazing Improvement Act (H.R. 657) on a bipartisan vote of 27-15. The legislation, which seeks to improve the livestock grazing permitting processes on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), will now go to the full House for consideration.
H.R. 657 was introduced in February by Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) as companion legislation to S. 258 in the Senate, also introduced in February by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director and Director of Federal Lands for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Dustin Van Liew said the Grazing Improvement Act will contribute greatly to providing a stable business environment to federal lands ranchers who face increasing uncertainty as to the future of their livestock grazing permits.
The legislation proposes to increase the term of grazing permits from 10 to 20 years, so that the burdens of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of expired permits will be reduced, thereby giving ranchers increased certainty that they may continue grazing and their operations will remain viable. Among other provisions to reduce the NEPA burden, the bill also proposes to codify longstanding appropriations language that would allow grazing to continue under existing terms and conditions while the NEPA backlog is being addressed.
“We greatly appreciate the leadership of Rep. Labrador and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Hastings for their leadership on this important issue,” Van Liew said. “Ranchers can no longer afford the incredible regulatory and litigious environment created by excessive application of NEPA. If we lose ranchers, we lose the stewards of the land, job providers in the West, and a crucial part of American livestock production. Like last year, we look forward to passage through the House this session.”
During the committee’s consideration of the bill, two amendments were offered. An amendment by Labrador, which passed, would exempt range improvements from excessive and unnecessary environmental review and clarify the intent of Congress with regard to who may appeal agency grazing decisions. Van Liew said the amendment will prevent radical environmental groups from abusing the current appeals system, and further reduce the NEPA burden. He said this amendment is especially important at a time when wildfire has ravaged hundreds of miles of fence and many range improvements crucial to the proper care of livestock and the range.
An amendment introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), which would have imposed an arbitrary 74 percent increase of the federal lands grazing fee on ranchers, failed. The amendment’s alleged purpose was to “offset the increased cost of administering the livestock grazing program.” However, Van Liew asserted that this fee increase would likely decrease revenue to the government by forcing ranchers out of business. He added that the “increased cost” Grijalva mentions is due to overregulation and predatory litigation by radical anti-grazing groups.
“We are pleased that, once again, the proposal to increase the grazing fee was soundly defeated. The current grazing fee is fair, is based on market criteria and accurately reflects the cost of operating on public lands. The effects of the loss of public lands grazing on both the environment and the local economies in the West would be devastating,” he said. “Altogether, the Grazing Improvement Act is now stronger than ever, and we look forward to seeing this commonsense legislation coming to a vote by the full House.”
Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Boot elm off! They are whining, lying pieces of manure… Like they’re afraid of the advocates or environmentalists.. Boot them out of office.. Talk about special interest radicals…..
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Terri, you are so RIGHT on this.. Sneaky LYING SOB’s.. ANYTHING to keep Big Ranchers Lobbyists $$$$$ flowing into the DOI/BLM’s Coffers Gah 😦 These are “Public Lands” WE are the Public! Yell Scream Post and Call your Senator(s) Congressmen/women, and Representatives.. let them KNOW we are NOT Going to STAND for this!! The Cattle OVERGRAZE as do the Sheep! Wild Horses have the sense to move around so that their “areas” do NOT become Overgrazed.. Bah! Crooks & Liars!
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Increase the term of grazing permits from 10 to 20 Years ?? When I get my fishing permit, it is good for one year ! Isn’t this just a little too cozy? This is a legacy permit. 20 years? at a fixed price I suppose. They cattle are destroying the rangeland and the cattlemen want to be assured they can finish the job. If you don’t have enough land to support your animals, don’t have so many. Why should the tax-payer subsidize your fat backsides??? Get the Cattle OFF our public land!
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Just remember Van Liew’s words — “overregulation and predatory litigation by radical anti-grazing groups” — every time you feel like buying and biting into a cow’s carcass!
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THIS IS WHY I WILL NEVER EAT BEEF AGAIN.
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As always, they talk out of both sides of their mouth! Commonsense legislation…for who?! Since when have they worked on anything using commonsense? How about the interest shown for proper care of livestock and the range? Why can’t our wild horses be shown consideration too? After all, they are not responsible for damaging the land, as are cattle. Of course, that’s not their concern.
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The law clearly states:
“Range’ means the amount of land necessary to sustain an existing herd or herds …and which is
devoted principally but not necessarily exclusively
to their welfare in keeping with the multiple-use management concept for the public lands”. 16 USCS §§ 1332(c), 1333(a).
http://animallawcoalition.com/can-the-wild-horses-and-burros-be-saved/
Nevada Sen. Harry Reid’s role in sending wild horses and burros to slaughter has come to light…
In 1971 the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA) was passed to provide broad protections for wild horses and burros on public lands.
The law states that “wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West…[T]hey contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people”. 16 U.S.C. §1331 et seqÂ
Congress recognized the wild horses and burros are “fast disappearing from the American scene”. 16 U.S.C. §1331 et seq
Some background on the legal protections for wild horses and burros
Wild horses and burros are supposed to be treated as “components of the public lands”. 16 U.S.C. § 1333(a) The law is clear that “wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death” and entitled to roam free on public lands where they were living at the time the Act was passed in 1971. 16 U.S.C. § 1331 These legally protected areas are known as “herd areas,” and are defined as “the geographic area identified as having been used by a herd as its habitat in 1971.” 43 C.F.R. § 4700.0-5(d).
The WFRHBA also authorizes designation of specific ranges for wild horses and burros. “Range’ means the amount of land necessary to sustain an existing herd or herds …and which is devoted principally but not necessarily exclusively to their welfare in keeping with the multiple-use management concept for the public lands”. 16 USCS §§ 1332(c), 1333(a).
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The law is defunct. The law is ignored. Who will stand up and defend this law who actually is an authority with the power to uphold it? WHO?
What gets me is the way this has all been done through deceit and myth and spin and the actual removals and incarceration of tens of thousands of animals who have a federal law to protect them and keep them from this?!
If those who wanted the wild horse and burros lands had gone to congress and if they had stood their and defied the 71 Act and said it had to go so that we could have fought them for this in the public eye, it may have been a different story. But the decimation of wild herds that has been carried out and the back room deals and the complicit politicians, public employees and non-elected agency officials that have cried they are justified have done a huge job creating the crisis that never really was. Few examples of wild horse and burro activities will ever compare with the damage long studied, well documented and hard fought over that the cattle and sheep are still the true culprits of overgrazing and the immense damage that follows. There so few wild horses and burros out there on these places to be blamed.
How else could BLM blame wild horses and burros for damage unless plenty of cow calves and sheep were made present on the same range to be vindicated by the myths and spin and hate?
Heaven forbid that we did have 80,000 wild horses and burros actually on their own lands today. What of it? That is not some overwhelming number to be feared and attacked. Some states have millions of deer. They cause more damage and hurt more people than our mustangs ever could have.
The management of our wild places and wild animals has begun to go through a serious decline these past 3 decades that is fueled by political and economic gain entirely. Science is the word they all fear. Science now has to be minimalized and trivialized and rejected so that what we now have is a free for all for public lands that leaves all of us public individuals out of the equation and allows corporations and the old boy system one more great rape of our lands and resources. The wild horses and burros are innocent bystanders and the collateral damage our government have betrayed unto their deaths and disenfranchisement.
Creating change is going to cost us a lot more than we have put into this collectively.
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So I guess they are trying to cut out any and all studies showing the damage done by cattle and sheep on public land, but will keep doing studies on the damage done by wild horses and burros. That sound so one sided but I am not surprised as it seems to me that the BLM and ranchers are determined to see that wild horses are sent to slaughter one way are another. I have a question. Why do we export beef by the ton and then turn around and import beef from other counties. I live in fear that we are already eating beef laced with horse meat from imported beef. Ranchers should be made to pay for leasing public land just like we have to pay to lease private land for crops or hunting.
I mean who said they should be able to line their pockets and get all the public land they want for little of nothing when most Americans have to pay out of the nose to lease privately own land. So what is the difference between public land and private land? The government trying to kiss the A– of the ranchers so that they will support them in the next election. After all they are the ones making all the money…and living high on the hog (sorry wrong animal) in a life style that 80% of American can only dream of.
There was a time when we could raise our own meat but the government has made so many laws that you can’t even raise chickens in your backyard without breaking the law if you live inside some the city limits….
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100% Right ON Terra! 😦 We are Quickly becoming a Fascist Society under the Present Govt. 😦
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De facto, the lease system is almost in perpetuity for that leaseholder, land owner, heirs or business partner. It is basically an “administrative requirement” to refile…approval is rubber stamped as long as your multi use plan includes livestock, extraction AND WILD QUINE REMOVAL (no tree huggin’ conservationism).
Leave it to the wildlife hatin’ (unless they and their buddies can shoot it), land and water hoggin’ Labrador and Barrasso to want more.
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And by the way, shouldn’t the Grazing Permit program be self supporting? UH 1 .5 million dollars in federal tax dollar deficit spending??? Increase the grazing permits from $1.35 to about $1,335.00 per cow/calf pair or 5 sheep to get with the 20th century here. Maybe cattle ranchers would think twice about wanting so much BLM land to graze on if they had to pay the going rate that other ranchers must pay to own their own private not public land. AND NO GRANDFATHERING in or transfers to mega corporations of any grazing rights. Let’s be fair, let the government be self-supporting, let them decide that maybe it’s cheaper to leave the wild horses be than to be feeding 50,000 (# of wild horses currently in BLM Hell Holding facilities). AND NO WE, THE PEOPLE, DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO ADOPT A MUSTANG SO THE FEED BILL IS ONCE AGAIN ON OUR DIME!
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I agree Completely! MORE Burden on the Public.. Big Ranchers OUGHT to have the Fees Shoved sky HIGH!! Cattlegate.. ( see Watergate) .. It is BRIBERY & Conniving to the nth Degree.. 😦 Gah I am Totally DISGUSTED!
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I am completely DISGUSTED! Cattle & Sheep ALWAYS overgraze! ALWAYS.. email, call & write you respective Senators, Congressperson, Representative etc & LET THEM KNOW! These are PUBLIC Lands & WE are The PUBLIC! Wild Horses have more sense than to Overgraze! ( Unlike those Greedy Buggers in DC! Gah 😦 These Greedy “Paid Off” via Big Ranchers” Lobbyists Cannot keep on! and PAID OFF They ARE! I think we need a new perspective.. something like when we kicked Nixon out of Office.. instead of Watergate.. Cattlegate!! Which is EXACTLY what it is!
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Thanks for this Deb Coffey!!
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Deb, thanks for the story.I realize I may be the lone voice in the wilderness (am I free to even be in the wilderness?), but I see this as a positive. Congress is protecting the ranchers from the BLM’s failure to do its job.
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Not very smart of good fair policy here I believe!
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The point is that if the BLM were actually trying to protect grazing rights, there is no way that they should have ever,ever let those NEPA EA’s lapse. The BLM’s failure to perform it’s critical lamd management dutie as required by U.S. Law is just another sign that federal agencies are not following the federal laws passed by Congress. Why not? Horse lovers and horse owners have more in common with ranchers than any other group. Horses and cattle together will keep the land healthier.Ranchers know more about healthy horses than any of these other groups. The ranchers and the horses face the same competing interests.
At least ranchers don’t make unnatural statements like horses need to be removed because they trample grass and disturb dirt. Someone needs to find out how many national muniments, historic sites, new national parks, and wilderness area were set aside in the Clinton,Bush, and current administration.
Both wild horse and burro advocates and ranchers are being played by the same people. We blame ranchers for horse removals and horse slaughter. Ranchers have probably been told that if they help agencies and their conservation group/environmental partners remove horses, they can have the land that is left. That isn’t going to happen for longer than ten or twenty years at best.
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What the BLM is going to do is get them all in the end. No wild horses and no burros. This way they can claim their lands.. as they have been over using the HMAs with mining, cattle and pipeline preferences. As long as we have wild horses and burros on their designated lands, somewhere, the rest of their lands still belong to wild horses in perpetuity. Unless they begin to petition congress to have ‘former’ wild horse and burro lands reverted back to public management because the wild ones are gone.
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Next they will be building their homes in our public land! Talk about entitlement! They should be charged a fair market amount of money considering the damage they do to the land and the ecosystem! They also need to quit removing and killing all the wildlife that could possiblly take a dime away from their profits! Make the leases year-to-year and without all the special added power over the life and death of the land and it’s inhabitants!
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Actually, Gorey is involved in a scandal with a developer in southern Nevada involving public lands and the sale of same.
I’ll try to find the link.
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Who is the BLM guy that just retired? Don’t think it’s Gorey. The guy that just retired is involved in the scandal…Jim?
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the time for “keeping an eye on it” came and went last year when i reposted western watershed’s comments on it all over the horse board. No advocates thought it important or interesting then…. Now, I think (could be wrong) its companion has already made it through the Senate, and not that it is out of the House committee analysts are giving it a 90% chance of passage…another lost opportunity due to lack of perspective by our myopic movements: the plight of the wild horses is still as inextricably linked to the plight or the range as they were when they were evolving together 100000 years ago. We need to get serious about the ecology of the range, or not be able to support our convictions that the horses belong out there and the welfare of both are inextricably linked…
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Really serious about stopping the cattlemen? Stop buying beef and soon you will see a reaction. If we could do a serious boycott for even a month I bet we could have an impact?
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NCBA is focusing on the export market…it pays and profits the intermediaries and corporate Ag entities far better than domestic markets.
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I agree with you Theresa Nolet! It will make an impact when enough people stop buying their beef “products”! If you must eat beef, buy from small, private, organic farms, or raise it yourself.
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We must stop this! Start a petition I will sign and share!
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boycotting beef wont stop a law that cattlemen are lobbying for….the horse is out of the barn already. It would be helpful to the horses if people didn’t take such a narrow focus and paid attention to the world around them…its pretty much impossible to stop this now. last year when i published news about it, it might have been stoppoable…but no one wanted to pay any attention then. so now its campanion has made it thru the senate to the best of my knowledge and this one is out of the House committee and headed to the floor of the house. You might as well try to stop a speeding train by tying a bunch pf party baloons to the tract. its a good idea to PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU!!!
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Perhaps boycotting beef won’t stop this law at this point, but why should we further pad the pockets of an industry that is clearly against the wild horses and burros as well as for horse slaughter?! If demand for beef “products” goes down far enough, the need for space to graze their cattle, on any land, will also decrease. Know that every time we make a purchase of any product at all, we’re actually telling the comany that produced it “Good job, keep it up!”
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