Grazing Lease Change

 Hungry for beef? Get it while you can because it may get a lot more expensive in the near future as cattlemen and ranches go out of business. I’m David Sparks and I’ll be back to explain in a minute. Well it finally happened. The eco-lawyers, couched in their so-called non-profit conservation groups including Hailey-based Western Watersheds Project must be doing backflips, high fives and back-slapping over new legislation. The Idaho House and Senate Resource Committee approved and implemented a rule that allows conservationists to bid on grazing leases offered by the Idaho Land Board. Prior to this new legislation, leases for about 1.8 million acres of land owned by the state in Central and Southern Idaho had gone to ranchers even though various conservationist groups have offered more money for the leases.

 The notion here is that the state owned land should generate more revenue and that ranchers are creating an eco-disaster. But consider that Idaho Cattle Association President Carl Ellsworth has predicted that new leasing rules could put some ranchers out of business. What will the economic impact be on the state if that happens?...if the price of beef sky rockets because there are fewer ranchers? And as for the conservationists plan to save the world, Eller says “I think it would have a detrimental impact on most of our species, especially endangered species such as salmon and bull trout.”

 I believe in being a steward of the land and further believe that generations of cattlemen have done just that, protected their lands for future generations.