Public Lands Council Advocating for Western Ranchers

September 18, 2024

The Public Lands Council Annual Meeting is underway in Grand Junction, Colo. PLC President and Colorado ranchers Mark Roeber says this week, ranchers from across the West who utilize America's public lands for grazing are discussing and developing some very important legislative policy to keep livestock part of our federal landscape.

"Trying to develop policy to promote public lands, ranching, protect it into the future, future generations," said Roeber. "We just want to continue to a big education process about how important it is to the United States of America to have that sovereignty of food."

He says that the PLC continues to work hard, and making sure that the original intent of America's public lands remains intact.

"We really need to relook at that, where livestock grazing fits in, because, it's more important than ever that we get back to a little more use and not just locking something up with idealism," said Roeber.

He says ranching today is more than just being a cowboy.

"You wear multiple hats," said Roeber. "I think it's important to make that in, an important part of your life, to give back to the industry that gave us such a good life and a great lifestyle. And, I mean, that's. But there is more to it. It's, trying to promote and protect that. The Western way of life. These small towns, small communities of the wide open west. You know, when the federal lands were set aside, they were really set aside to try and stabilize economies in the West. And livestock has always been a major part of that and needs to continue to do so."

Today approximately 22,000 ranchers own nearly 120 million acres of private land and hold grazing permits on more than 250 million acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

For more information about the Public Lands Council, you can visit www.publiclands council.org.

Source: Western Ag Network