Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Western Caucus Member Liz Cheney (WY-At Large) released the following statement after her Amendment #106 to H.R. 2 - which would ensure all efforts are made by grazing lease-issuing agencies to replace or otherwise maintain grazing permits that are rendered valueless due to natural disaster, wildlife conflict or court injunction - passed the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by unanimous voice vote last Thursday: 

Congresswoman Cheney stated, “For far too long livestock producers have battled against the federal government’s attempts to reduce grazing on public lands. My amendment safeguards ranch families in Wyoming and across the West who graze on federal lands by making vacant allotments available for producers should their existing allotment become unavailable due to frivolous lawsuits or natural disasters. Hard-working ranchers should not have to fear economic ruin from circumstances beyond their control that force them to sell their livestock at fire-sale prices. My amendment ensures they will be able to continue to graze on public lands as they have for generations."

Background:

On Thursday, May 17, 2018, Congresswoman Cheney's Amendment #106 to H.R. 2 was agreed to by voice vote on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

This amendment directs the United States Forest Service and Department of the Interior to make vacant allotments available to grazing permit holders in the event of a natural disaster, injunction, or conflict with wildlife. It would further prevent an injunction on the utilized allotment should the federal land agency be unable to make a vacant allotment available to the permit holder. 

Across the country, grazing permit holders are put in untenable and often unfair circumstances when the allotment authorized by a federal land agency becomes unusable due to a natural disaster, court-issued injunction, or conflict with wildlife.

A clear legislative remedy for such cases is to require that grazing lease-providing agencies make all efforts to offer substitute vacant leases, or otherwise maintain existing ones, so that holders of these leases can remain whole.

Rep. Cheney's amendment does just that - and the House of Representative's unanimous assent to its passage indicates the degree to which such legislation becoming law is a commonsense proposition. 

See the text of Rep. Cheney's amendment here.