YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK CCA Works to Support Grazing on Public Lands Of the multiple facets of California’s beef cattle industry, one of the most prolific and important segments remains public lands grazing. Like other Western states, more than half of California – including many of our state’s high mountain and desert regions – is owned by the federal government. These regions provide summer forage for many of our state’s beef producers. Grazing on federal land is a historic tradition that is essential to maintain a viable operation for many ranchers. CCA has long been at the forefront of working to protect grazing on federal lands. Through partnering with the Public Lands Council (PLC) in Washington, D.C., CCA and other state livestock organizations ensure the voices of ranchers in the West are heard on Capitol Hill. Greater Sage Grouse
Recently, CCA has completed an extensive amount of work by confronting efforts by federal agencies to increase burdensome regulations on grazing permittees in Northeastern California in response to various concerns regarding the greater sage grouse and sage steppe habitat. CCA continues to fight to oppose any listing of the greater sage grouse in the West and in January provided an extensive set of comments (over 75 pages) on the most recent Environmental Impact Statement and Land Use Plan Amendment for Nevada and Northeastern California. This plan proposes new standards and guidelines that would potentially reduce the duration of use for many allotments and require additional management practices to avoid unsubstantiated conflicts between cattle and the sage grouse. CCA members stand firm in the belief that
livestock grazing is not to blame for a decline in sage grouse numbers. In fact, ranchers are actively completing on the ground projects to improve rangeland health and sage grouse habitat. Active on Capitol Hill
While much of the conversation around public lands grazing seems to be contentious and ultimately ends in litigation, CCA is working with PLC to advance positive changes to the way federal grazing allotments are permitted and administered. Recently, CCA worked to help pass legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives authored by PLC and NCBA known as the Grazing Improvement Act which extends grazing permits from 10 to 20 years, solidifies the use of a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process and permanently codifies language that allows ranchers to graze allotments without a NEPA review. CCA has been successful in ensuring Congress reauthorizes this language every two-years as without it, permittees would not be allowed to graze allotments awaiting NEPA review. A large percentage of federal grazing allotments still require their first NEPA review. The U.S. Senate has introduced its own version of the legislation that unfortunately has some adverse provisions. PLC and CCA are working to remove those provisions and focus on the success of the House to move a bill that provides real solutions for problems facing public lands ranchers. Public Lands Litigation
CCA is also there to defend federal decisions authorizing grazing
10 California Cattleman March 2014
or help permittees challenged by environmental activist groups seeking to end grazing on public lands. CCA does not shy away from lawsuits or defending your rights to graze federal lands. Over the past 10 years, CCA has intervened in several lawsuits to protect the interest of permittees. CCA is now exploring new opportunities to go on the offensive in challenging adverse decisions made by federal policy makers. Whether it’s an issue impacting all permittees being debated in Washington, D.C., or a local issue involving a specific permit, CCA is here to help. Each year CCA conducts a range ride with local permittees on a specific national forest to promote grazing with regional and local U.S. Forest Service staff and find solutions to challenges on the range. Land Management
CCA has been actively working with permittees on the Stanislaus National Forest who were impacted by the recent Rim Fire. Mismanagement, inaction, government regulations and pressing litigation by environmental groups seeking to end grazing and logging on federal lands are all to blame for the dramatic increase in catastrophic fires throughout the West. Enough is enough. As you read this, CCA is working to broadcast the lessons learned from both fires and explore and put forward legislative and regulatory strategies that will encourage quick restoration and proper forest management in the future remains a priority. As always, never hesitate to contact your CCA staff with a question, concern or to request help on a specific issue related to your federal lands grazing permit.