The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) today hailed U.S. House passage of a resolution that would repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Planning 2.0 Rule, calling it a “huge victory” for America’s ranchers. If the U.S. Senate also quickly passes the resolution, it would go to the White House for President Trump’s signature.
“For years, the Obama Administration ignored the concerns of ranchers and local officials and instead rammed through this massive regulatory overreach as they were being shown the door,” said Ethan Lane, Executive Director of PLC and NCBA Public Lands. “This is a huge victory for America’s cattle producers and a sign that some common sense is finally being restored in Washington.”
“Planning processes are critical to the ability of grazing permitees to operate in the West,” Lane continued. “The final rule’s shift away from multiple use, as well as its disregard for both local input and economic analysis, make it unworkable for the more than 18,000 ranchers operating on BLM-managed lands.”
NCBA and PLC have long expressed concerns about BLM’s Planning 2.0 Rule, which would represent a wholesale shift in management focus at BLM by prioritizing “social and environmental change” over ensuring multiple use of public lands, and by eliminating stakeholder and local input into the planning process.
The Obama Administration finalized the BLM Planning 2.0 Rule in December. Under the Congressional Review Act, the U.S. House and Senate have up to 60 legislative days after a new rule becomes final to approve a joint resolution of disapproval, which will fully repeal the final rule if and when the resolution becomes law.
“Congressman Liz Cheney of Wyoming deserves a great deal of credit for her leadership on this issue, and we call on the Senate to follow suit and approve Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) companion resolution as soon as possible,” Lane said.