Western ranchers have welcomed a Notice of Intent from the Bureau of Land Management announcing the agency is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement on new grazing regulations.
With the NOI comes a public comment period, so in-person scoping meetings will be held across the West.
Dr. JJ Goicoechea, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Federal Lands Committee Chairman, called this a “once in a generation opportunity.”
“We have endured Bruce Babbitt’s ‘Range Reform’ for over 25 years-and the land, native grasses, and local ranching families have suffered as a result. This NOI is the first step toward righting that wrong,” he said. “I cannot understate how important it is for ranchers to submit comments and participate in these scoping meetings.”
More details on the scoping meetings will be available on the BLM website at least seven days prior to each scheduled meeting.
The public comment period closes 15 days after the conclusion of the final scoping meeting.