Just a few weeks ago, the very livelihood of Utah ranchers was threatened, not by local conditions, but by administrators in Washington, D.C. - many of whom do not understand our relationship to our land.
These threats came in the form of a proposal called Rangeland Reform 94, but the practical impact of the proposal would have nearly tripled the fees we pay for grazing on federal land.Thanks to the work of Gov. Mike Leavitt and Sen. Orrin Hatch, the unsatisfactory proposal was withdrawn from an Interior Department appropriations bill. Leavitt organized a group of seven Western governors who opposed the proposal in a strongly worded letter to senators. The letter criticized Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt for ignoring the need to offer ranchers proper stewardship incentives. It was credited with saving many of our Western ranching families from the poorly thought-out proposal.
Hatch ensured success on the Senate floor with his powerful statements against the package and prevailed in getting Babbitt to withdraw the proposed changes from his department's appropriations bill.
The challenge ahead is ensuring that Babbitt hears our point of view and works with us to build a grazing policy that is reasonable. He has expressed his intent to move forward with a regulatory proposal to bring about range reform.
Leavitt has recently tried to open the lines of communication to the secretary. He has had several conversations with the secretary and says he will work hard to help him see the point of view of rural Utahns. The governor has invited the secretary to visit Utah and educate him on our rural issues.
He says he is hopeful that Babbitt will listen to our point of view and amend some of his ideas. This educational effort must continue if the U.S. secretary of the interior is to understand the unique problems of rural Utah and pass grazing regulations that enable us to continue our livelihoods.
The governor is currently vice chairman of the Western Governors Association and will become chairman of that association next year. In that capacity, Leavitt will be in a powerful position to influence the Interior Department on issues like grazing that are critical to rural Utah.
Cary Peterson
Utah state commissioner of agriculture