Public Lands Council's Annual Meeting

Public Lands Council’s Annual Meeting

Approximately 200 ranchers and livestock producers met in Winnemucca, Nevada for the Public Lands Council Annual Meeting. After the break we will visit with Daryl Asmussen who attended last week’s PLC meeting, I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range.

For those of you not familiar with the Public Lands Council, it represents livestock ranchers who use public lands and helps preserve the natural resources and unique heritage of the West. Daryl Asmussen, longtime Okanogan rancher and Washington Cattlemen’s Association representative and state director on the PLC, shares what topics were discussed at the meeting.

Asmussen: “Wildfires is a big, big issue now because of what is happening in Jordan Valley and around the West really. Drought is another big issue we discussed quite about. Wildfire we can do something about, drought you can’t. We’ve taken the whole spectrum of things. We sure have on everything. Different managements Forest Service has talked to us and the BLM also spoke to us.”

Asmussen says there is an exciting new project that the PLC is sponsoring.

Asmussen: “Sage Grouse Endangered Species is a big, big issue and is hitting the West really strong right now. We have set up a data base, the PLC has, so this information can be accurate.”

This user-friendly database will provide information on the benefits of grazing as it relates to sage grouse habitat. PLC plans on releasing it later this fall.
I’m KayDee Gilkey with Open Range on the Northwest Ag Information Network.