Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association news release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have started the process to rescind the illegal, Biden-era “Public Lands” rule. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) challenged the rule in a 2024 lawsuit because it violated the multiple use mandate and would have paved the way for the federal government to remove family ranching operations and other uses from these working lands.
“NCBA fought back hard against this misguided rule, that was a dream for radical activists across the country looking to remove cattle from American rangeland, tear apart family ranches, and upend generations of legal precedent,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “Cattle producers were blindsided with this rulemaking two years ago and were not asked to give any input until the rule was already drafted.
“This was not a rulemaking to improve daily life for Americans, it was a shot across the bow of an entire industry, and we responded in kind. Thank you to the Trump administration and new BLM leadership for listening to producers and rescinding this grossly misguided rule.”
Multiple stakeholders voiced their concerns that this rule clearly violated the multiple use mandate under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) but the Biden administration continued to break the law by finalizing this rule almost a year ago.
“The last administration turned their back on ranchers and land conservation when they developed this rule and cut us out of the planning process for lands that we have managed for generations. It is well known that public lands grazing supports a healthy ecosystem and reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” said PLC President and Colorado grazing permittee Tim Canterbury. “As permittees, we saw the rule’s clear intent: to remove us from our allotments and turn these lands into an unmanaged, unhealthy, unproductive liability. Ranchers across the West are thankful for the commonsense approach of the Trump administration to delete this rule from federal law and bring certainty back to ranchers and rural communities.”
NCBA and PLC originally sued BLM over this rule in July of 2024 and were joined in this suit by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Exploration and Mining Association, American Forest Resource Council, American Petroleum Institute, American Sheep Industry Association, National Mining Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Natrona County Farm and Ranch Bureau, Western Energy Alliance, and Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation.
About NCBA
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 1-866-BEEF-USA or [email protected].
The Public Lands Council (PLC) represents 22,000 cattle and sheep producers who operate with federal grazing permits in the West. The PLC advocates for these western ranchers who preserve our nation’s natural resources while providing vital food and fiber to the nation and the world. Learn more at www.publiclandscouncil.org.
