07/13/05 Public Lands Council

Public Lands Council The Public Lands Council is working hard to maintain grazing on U.S. federal lands. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back with some details. Letters are being sent to almost 23,000 federal lands grazing permit-holders by the Public Lands Council to join in efforts to keep utilizing federal lands as a viable option in livestock production. The PLC is striving to help put back some common sense, actual independent science, input from people working on the ground, and trying for less paperwork compliance in many aspects of federal lands grazing. Issues where changes are possibly going to occur include the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, horses and burros, multiple use of public lands, and monitoring. PLC president, Mike Byrne, an Oregon cattle producer wants permittees to know that public lands ranching is a strong option for raising livestock in the West and the PLC is working to keep it that way. Byrne wants to discourage ranchers from considering buy out programs that remove cattle and sheep from the lands; particularly, the buyout proposal sponsored by the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign. I believe anytime these buyouts occur it will do harm to the economy and the social well being of the local communities. Mike Byrne would like to see more involvement from permittees across the nation to help make a difference for future generations. I personally hope those differences include more chance for stability in the future of grazing federal lands. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter/PLC 6/22/05