NEWS RELEASE

January 13, 2005

Contact:

    Andy Kerr, National Public Lands Grazing Campaign * 503-701-6298, andykerr@andykerr.net
    Justin Baca, National Public Lands Grazing Campaign * 202-547-9267, jbaca@americanlands.org

   Letter to Federal Grazing Permittees & Lessees, January 2005 

Conservationists Mail Letter to 22,000 Federal Grazing Permittees

For the third time in as many years, a coalition of conservation organizations dedicated to ending abusive federal public lands livestock grazing has pitched their case for voluntary grazing permit buyout to those who might first appear to be their staunchest opponents: the very ranchers who graze those public lands.

"Actually, we believe most public lands grazing permittees support our proposal for the federal government to generously compensate any federal public lands rancher who wishes to retire their grazing permit," noted Andy Kerr, director of the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign. "While a majority of the public lands livestock industry leadership appears to oppose voluntary buyout, it is also apparent that a majority of the membership supports the proposal."

The four-page letter updates ranchers on three voluntary buyout bills that were introduced in the last Congress (108th; 2003-04) that will be reintroduced into the next Congress (109th; 2005-06). One bill is national in scope, while the other two would create site-specific voluntary buyout programs in Arizona and central Idaho. All bills would provide generous compensation to public lands ranchers who voluntarily waive their interest in a federal grazing permit. The associated grazing allotments would then be retired from commercial livestock grazing. Additional site-specific buyout legislation is also likely to be introduced in 2005.

"Buying out public lands livestock grazing is ecologically imperative, economically rational, fiscally prudent and socially just," said Kerr. In the letter to ranchers, Kerr empathizes that "Public lands grazing is a part of the rural American West that is being left behind by the modern global economy and that I believe that we are a rich country that should not leave anyone behind. Permit buyout is a way to recapitalize a part of the American rural West that is in decline."

In the letter signed by Kerr, he states "Conservationists and ranchers will probably never agree on most public lands grazing issues. But we need only agree on one thing: that if you want to sell your interest in your grazing permit back to the government, you ought to be able to do so."

The letter recites the many hardships facing public lands ranchers. "(F)ederal public lands grazing permits are increasingly becoming stranded investments due to a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to: (1) irreconcilable multiple use conflicts; (2) an increasing number of recreationists on public lands spilling out from increasing urban populations; (3) increased enforcement of environmental laws; (4) foreign beef imports, and (5) the increased economic and political clout of meat packers."

The letter suggests that ranchers may want to inform their leadership about their support for voluntary federal grazing permit buyout prior to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's convention in San Antonio on February 2-5, where voluntary buyout will be on the agenda.

"Voluntary grazing permit buyout is good for the environment, good for taxpayers and good for ranchers who desire a viable economic alternative to slowly going broke grazing public lands," said NPLGC Washington, DC representative Justin Baca.

The NPLGC permittee letter is available at www.permitbuyout.net.

Quick Facts on Public Lands Livestock Grazing

Environmental Problems with Federal Public Lands Grazing

• Grazing damages entire landscapes and is a major source of non-point water pollution.



• Domestic livestock compete with and displace native fish and wildlife species. Grazing is listed as a contributing factor in the decline of 22% of all species listed on the federal threatened and endangered species list.

Fiscal Problems with Federal Public Lands Grazing

• The direct and indirect costs to taxpayers ($130-500 million annually) of managing the federal grazing program on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands greatly exceeds the revenue generated from grazing fees (less than $15 million annually).

Problems for Federal Public Lands Ranchers

• Public lands ranching is at best a marginal economic pursuit. Most public lands ranches have a negative to 3% nominal return on investment, which fails even to keep pace with inflation.



• The average acre of private lands pasture in the East is 82 times more productive than the average acre of Bureau of Land Management grazing lands in the West.



• The current drought has increased hardships for ranchers, forcing many to reduce or eliminate their herds. Even if the drought were to end now, many ranchers could not afford a new herd to resume their grazing and would stand to lose their grazing permits and the market value they once held under current law.



• Many permittees are approaching retirement age and do not have children who are able or willing to come back and take over the family ranch.



• Conflicts with other uses of federal public lands (endangered species recovery, wildlife habitat, protection of water quality/quantity, increasing recreation and other purposes) are making public lands livestock grazing ever more problematic for grazing permittees.

All facts documented at www.publiclandsranching.org.

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