Thomas Daschle: “for the last 2 days we have discussed the merits and shortcomings of the Public Rangelands Management Act. It is…”

“for the last 2 days we have discussed the merits and shortcomings of the Public Rangelands Management Act. It is apparent that this is a complicated debate, riddled with hyperbole and misunderstanding. Let no one misunderstand, however, the context within which this debate has been conducted. There exists today throughout the West a palpable sense of economic anxiety that has its roots in the issuance of new grazing regulations by the Department of the Interior 2 rac{1}{2} years ago; regulations that fueled fear among ranchers that they face a campaign by the Government to permanently remove them from Federal lands. This apprehension about Government insensitivity to the economic realities of ranching is tangible in my State of South Dakota and widespread throughout the West. Moreover, it has been aggravated by a prolonged period of extremely low cattle prices coupled with record high feed costs. There is no doubt in my mind, Mr. President, that ranchers' frustration with current Federal grazing policy is justified. Their grievances are both procedural and substantive. It was apparent that the regulations issued by the Interior Department in 1993 were conceived and issued in a manner that discounted the views of ranchers who earn their livelihood from public land.”