Cattlemen, PLC Applaud Zinke As New Interior Secretary

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council reacted positively to the Senate’s confirmation of Ryan Zinke as the new Secretary of the Interior. NCBA President Craig Uden called it great news for American ranchers and cattle producers.

“Ryan Zinke has an outstanding record of advocating for western communities and ranchers. We look forward to working with Secretary Zinke to restore common sense and balance on issues like public land management, conservation, and endangered species.” PLC President Dave Eliason says having an Interior Secretary who understands public lands and values cooperation with stakeholders is good for everyone. “Secretary Zinke is from the west and understands the challenges of communities with a large federal footprint. We look forward to working with him to restore the role of local input in planning and review processes, fix laws like the Endangered Species Act, and protect grazing rights that are so vital to western economies,” Eliason said. Western ranchers own approximately 120 million acres of the most productive private land in the West and manage nearly 250 million acres of public land.

From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.