Grazing and Wildfires Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Western ranchers and lawmakers are rallying behind bills aimed at using livestock grazing to help prevent wildfires.
Utah Congressman John Curtis says his "Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Act" ensures land managers can adapt to changing conditions …
CURTIS … “This bill streamlines application and renewal process for granting permits, reduces administrative glaze and fosters better communications between ranchers and federal agencies, all the while promoting more effective land stewardship.”
New Mexico Congressman Gabe Vasquez called his "Ranching Without Red Tape Act" a step toward reducing bureaucratic hurdles and providing greater flexibility …
VASQUEZ … “Currently these folks who lease federal grazing permits must undertake a complicated renegotiation process to make even the most minor improvements to their leased rangelands. That includes building a stock tank, repairing a fence, or making minor road repairs and minor adjustments in the back country. These necessary changes help producers adjust to changing climate patterns and to new technology, make necessary repairs and ultimately help maintain healthy livestock and improve productivity and ecosystem health. Unfortunately, the process for making these improvements on federal lands is cumbersome and out of date.”
Vasquez says common-sense improvements should receive expedited approval without the red tape.
Listen tomorrow for more on this effort to allow livestock grazing to battle the rising wildfire threats in the Western U.S.
