The Public Lands Council | IN THE NEWS:

Congress: Opinion - Sen. Boozman calls for bipartisan support of CRAs

Stepping up bipartisan opposition to bad policies, The Highland County Press - Sen. John Boozman says, "Congress has already provided multiple opportunities to roll back proposed or recently enacted rules, regulations and legislation that are bad for our country. Republicans have been leading CRA joint resolutions of disapproval to challenge several potentially damaging orders from taking effect. These initiatives provide Congress an expedited mechanism to overturn certain federal agency actions. A joint resolution of disapproval under the CRA is also afforded special privileges that bypass normal Senate rules and allow for a vote on the Senate floor. When a CRA resolution is approved by a simple majority in both chambers of Congress and signed by the president – or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto – the rule is invalidated. I’m pleased we’ve already been able to draw bipartisan support for some CRA joint disapproval resolutions that are headed to the president’s desk. His administration has also put forward a burdensome Clean Water Act regulation discarding a commonsense rule that would protect our water systems and sources without eroding the rights of landowners. The Waters of the United States decree will expand federal regulatory authority over virtually every pond, puddle and ditch nationwide."

BLM: Comment period open for sagebrush plan in Nevada

BLM opens Elko County sage grouse habitat treatment plan for comment, Elko Daily Free PressThe Bureau of Land Management’s Wells Field Office invites public review and comment on a proposal to treat more than 200,000 acres of public land in northeastern Elko County over a 10-year period to improve habitat for the greater sage grouse. The project dates back to 2015 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that listing of the bird was not warranted, based on the public-private Sage Grouse Initiative’s commitment to improve and restore habitat. The BLM conducted assessments of sage grouse habitat and determined that wildfire, cheatgrass and expanding conifer forests were the main threats to be addressed in that effort. Restoration goals include removing stressed and diseased trees, reducing hazardous wildfire fuels, reducing invasive grasses and noxious weeds, and restoring land previously affected by wildfire. Methods could include mowing, herbicides, pile burning, mastication, and seeding. The comment period on the plan runs from March 13 to April 11.

Water: Supreme Court case could reshape indigenous water rights

Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Indigenous Water Rights in the Southwest, Civil EatsTucked away on the northern New Mexico portion of the 27,000-square-mile Navajo Nation is a green oasis in an otherwise arid, often overgrazed landscape. The region, which received only 3.8 inches of rain in 2020, is home to one of the largest tracts of contiguous farmland in the continental United States. Alfalfa and corn are the top cash crops, however. Total sales have made NAPI profitable enough to contribute over $1 million to the Navajo Nation in 2020. “The rangeland is depleted,” says Delane Atcitty, the executive director of Indian Nations Conservation Alliance and a NAPI board member. “That’s why the alfalfa is selling.” But NAPI would make a lot more money if it sold all the alfalfa off the reservation. Instead, it balances tribal food security with economic development. Later this month, the Supreme Court will hear a high-profile case in which the federal government has decided to push back on its responsibility to provide tribes with an adequate water supply. In 2003, the Navajo Nation sued the DOI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona arguing that the 1868 treaty established the Navajo Nation reservation as a permanent homeland and pledged support for agricultural settlement, and therefore required the federal government to provide water.

Sustainability: Sustainable practices can yield greater profitability

Sustainable cows can lead to greater profitability, Farm and Ranch Guide - When deciding what cows to keep, many ranchers look at the weaning weight of the calf to determine if the cow is worth keeping. Weaning weights translate to the price per pound a rancher will get at sale time, which makes it a persuasive number. But long-term profitability is more closely linked to a sustainable cow, according to Dr. Troy Rowan of the University of Tennessee. “A calf’s weaning weight is only half of the equation when it comes to which cows to keep. It’s what we get paid for in that year-end check, but we have to look at the cost traits of the cow to really know how we are doing. Costs like having open cows or poor foot and leg traits that cause the cow to leave the herd early are ultimately costing us.” Rowan said a cow needs to have five calves without missing a season in order to bring a return on investment. “We also need to look at important traits like fertility and udder structure – these are more than just convenience traits,” he said. By being willing to assess their cow herd on more than just weaning weights, Rowan said ranchers can make money by adopting new practices. “We are continually being asked to do more with less, which means we need to manage our forage resources in the best way possible,” he said. “A cow that weighs 1,250 pounds is harder to sustain than a smaller cow that could allow us to support more animals on a fixed amount of land. A mature, moderate-sized cow needs fewer nutritional inputs to function metabolically and raise that calf.”

3,796 deeded acres in 6 pastures watered by spring and stock water well. Irrigation permit on 130 acres. Well to be drilled this year. The well costs will be added to price of $2,277,559.