GRAND JUNCTION, CO (September 18, 2024) – The Public Lands Council (PLC) opens up their 56th Annual Meeting today. This is where ranchers, policymakers, administration officials, and industry stakeholders from across the country will meet to discuss the most urgent issues facing the public lands ranching industry. For two days, federal grazing permittees will have the opportunity to shape PLC policies for the next year and hear from influential decisionmakers including U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wendy Anderson, Bureau of Land Management’s Katie Stevens, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Matt Hogan.
“Annual meeting is where ranchers come together to tackle the issues our industry faces and how we can improve moving forward. Ranching on federal lands is not an easy job and it gets tougher every year, but this is the meeting where we work to strengthen the ranching industry for future generations,” said PLC President Mark Roeber. “Each year, there are always advancements that can improve our production practices and make us better ranchers. This event is the premier event to meet the western grazing community and learn from experts, no matter if you are a veteran permittee or managing your first allotment.”
This year’s meeting takes place as grazing permittees are facing deadly wildfires and a host of other extreme weather conditions across the West, as well as several federal rulemakings that seriously threaten ranchers’ ability to reliably access public lands.
“PLC’s Annual Meeting is the industry’s best opportunity to address generational issues that affect access and management of federal lands. This year is a perfect example: grazing permittees are dealing with wildfire, increased regulatory burden, and uncertainty from new uses of federal land that have put additional pressure on grazing operations,” said PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover. “The direction we receive this week from permittees will guide how PLC engages with lawmakers, agencies, and federal courts for the coming year. I am looking forward to robust policy debates this week, so PLC and federal grazing permittees are well-equipped for the political realities in the year ahead.”
