Troy Nehls: “My amendment would simply prohibit funds to be used for the shooting of cattle in the Gila National Forest or any other…”

“My amendment would simply prohibit funds to be used for the shooting of cattle in the Gila National Forest or any other national forest. Folks, let me tell you why this issue is so important. I am offering this amendment to ensure that the voices of the concerned residents of New Mexico and cattle grazers across the country are heard. The Forest Service has been using your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to issue and execute aerial kill orders for feral cattle in the Gila National Forest due to environmental concerns. The Forest Service defines feral cattle as cattle without brands, ear tags, or other signs of ownership. However, it is oftentimes difficult to tell the difference between a feral cow and a non-feral cow. My staff and I tried it. We couldn't tell the difference. Even if the cows are feral, under New Mexico State law, feral cows are the property of the New Mexico Livestock Board, which opposed the actions taken by the Forest Service to shoot these cattle in the first place. Cattle grazers are rightfully concerned that their own branded cattle could have ventured into the area in question due to fences being burned down by wildfires or damaged from an unusually strong monsoon season. The area in question in the Gila National Forest comprises over 500,000 acres, and only 19 of the estimated 50 to 250 feral cattle were killed.…”