Public Lands Council Holds Spring Legislative Conference In DC

Public Lands Council (PLC) members representing 11 western states are in Washington, DC this week for the annual legislative fly-in. During the two-day conference, members will meet with agency and congressional representatives to discuss legislative and regulatory issues affecting public lands ranchers, including: sage grouse and wild horse and burro management; Equal Access to Justice Act reform; Forest Service land management; and death tax relief.

“Our legislative conference is an important opportunity for us to meet with lawmakers and help put a face on America’s ranchers,” said Skye Krebs, PLC President and rancher from Ione, Oregon. “Our ranchers work day-in and day-out to feed the world and take care of the land. We can’t do this without sound public policies that promote a stable business climate for producers and the conservation of our Western resources and heritage.”

The conference kicks off this morning with briefings by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Bob Abbey and Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White. Later today, the group will head to Capitol Hill to attend a joint-meeting with Arizona Senators John Kyl and John McCain.

Tomorrow, representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Forest Service and BLM will join the group for a discussion on the Endangered Species Act and other range-management issues.

Also during the conference, PLC members will meet with a number of congressional representatives from their respective states, including: Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR), Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ).