Vasquez Advances Bipartisan Ranching Without Red Tape Act in House Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, November 19, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) presented his Ranching Without Red Tape Act in a hearing with the House Committee of Natural Resources (HNRC), bringing it one step closer to becoming law. The bill aims to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and provide greater flexibility for ranchers to grow their operations. The bill is supported by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Reps. John Curtis (R-UT) and John Duarte (R-CA).
“Growers who need to simply repair a fence or improve their waters are waiting months or even years for new permit approvals,” said Vasquez. “These delays cost time, money and contribute to the rising cost of beef and other meat products in this country. My bipartisan Ranching Without Red Tape Act would allow ranchers to make these essential, minor improvements without going through a long and burdensome process.”
WATCH: Vasquez Presents Bipartisan Ranching Without Red Tape Act in House Committee
The bipartisan Ranching Without Red Tape Act allows ranchers on federally leased lands to make range improvements without renegotiating their permits or waiting months for a response to their requests. The bill removes bureaucratic restrictions on ranchers, allowing some of our nation’s most important producers to conduct their operations more easily while protecting our lands from major unsupervised changes by ensuring proper guardrails remain in place.
This bipartisan bill is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Maloy (R-UT), Caraveo (D-CO), Zinke (R-MT), and Molinaro (R-NY). The bill is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, R-CALF USA, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, Utah Farm Bureau, Wyoming Farm Bureau, Wyoming Stock Growers, and Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts.
“We appreciate Congressman Vasquez and his effort to reduce the red tape associated with ranching on federal lands,” said President Larry Reagan, New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. “This legislation will help ranchers get much-needed improvements on the ground faster. Ranchers are integral partners to our federal land managers in actively managing our public lands and responsibly stewarding our natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of all.”
“Ranchers work on the ground to improve range conditions and resources. That includes repairing breached stock tanks, cleaning those tanks, laying in pipelines, storage tanks and drinkers for water distribution and many other projects that benefit livestock and wildlife and distribute animals across the landscape. Delays in approving improvements thwart wise stewardship. This cattle rancher endorses legislation, such as Ranching Without Red Tape, that seeks to eliminate those delays. I am grateful to the Congressman for working to address this issue,” said Tom Paterson, owner of Spur Ranch in Catron County.
“American ranchers are valuable stewards of our shared working lands. They work -day in and day out- to improve these vital natural resources,” said Chad Franke, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President. “Our ranchers need the flexibility to make timely improvements within their grazing allotments to ensure they can remain nimble and build resilience in a changing climate. We thank Congressman Vasquez for his leadership in bringing forward this common-sense solution for our agricultural producers.”
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