The Farm Bill and domestic sheep.

[MTGomer]

Recently, amendment 106 was added to the version of the farm bill that got passed in the house. This bill will mandate more public land grazing of domestic sheep, including in allotments where conservationist money has been used to purchase grazing rights. You can find more about this on the wild sheep foundation‘s website and social media pages.

 

[Schaaf]

Introduced by Rep. Liz Cheney

 

[RobG]

How'd Gianforte vote?

 

[Big Fin]

Since the science and law are adverse to Cheney's desired outcome, use the normal tactic - ignore the science and change the law.

So sick of this chit.

She brags about it at this link - https://westerncaucus.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1526

 

[RobG]

Since the science and law are adverse to Cheney's desired outcome, use the normal tactic - ignore the science and change the law.

So sick of this chit.

She brags about it at this link - https://westerncaucus.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1526

From the link:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today,Congressional Western Caucus Member Liz Cheney (WY-At Large) released the following statement after her Amendment #106 to H.R. 2 - which would ensure all efforts are made by grazing lease-issuing agencies to replace or otherwise maintain grazing permits that are rendered valueless due to natural disaster, wildlife conflict or court injunction - passed the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by unanimous voice vote last Thursday:


Guess that means Gianforte voted for it.

 

[COEngineer]

Senate passed the bill already, but I can't find anything in a google search if Amendment 106 was included.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Cheney is my lone Congress person, I'll be writing that female dog right soon.

 

[Oak]

The Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill on June 28 (86-11). Senators submitted 321 amendments including one from Sen. Enzi that mirrored Rep. Cheney's Amendment 106. Only 17 amendments were actually accepted and voted on. Enzi's did not make the cut.


Now it's up to the House and Senate to conference and come to agreement between the two versions. The unified bill will need to then be passed by both chambers. If you are inclined to do so, reach out to your Senators and let them know that you don't want to see House Amendment 106 in the final version.

 

[Schaaf]

I find it interesing that RobG and I stood right beside Gianforte at a WSF event during one of his campaigns and then would vote for something that would cause such damage to the work sheep advocates have worked on. Hopefully Gray let him know what his thoughts were on Cheney’s amendment.

 

[noharleyyet]

The Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill on June 28 (86-11). Senators submitted 321 amendments including one from Sen. Enzi that mirrored Rep. Cheney's Amendment 106. Only 17 amendments were actually accepted and voted on. Enzi's did not make the cut.


Now it's up to the House and Senate to conference and come to agreement between the two versions. The unified bill will need to then be passed by both chambers. If you are inclined to do so, reach out to your Senators and let them know that you don't want to see House Amendment 106 in the final version.

Thanks for the elucidation Oak

 

[scubohuntr]

I find it interesing that RobG and I stood right beside Gianforte at a WSF event during one of his campaigns and then would vote for something that would cause such damage to the work sheep advocates have worked on. Hopefully Gray let him know what his thoughts were on Cheney’s amendment.

Gianforte is East Coast big money, pretending to be a Westerner. He will support anything that makes him money or votes.

 

[COEngineer]

This page will allow you to find your representatives and send them an e-mail: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

 

[elkduds]

I just corresponded w Sens Gardner, Bennett, and Rep Lamborn, to oppose amendment. FYI to his CO Springs constitiuents, Lamborn is all the way up Trump/Zinke's a$$ RE anti-sportsmen's issues.
Read it and weep: https://lamborn.house.gov/

 

[MTGomer]

The Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill on June 28 (86-11). Senators submitted 321 amendments including one from Sen. Enzi that mirrored Rep. Cheney's Amendment 106. Only 17 amendments were actually accepted and voted on. Enzi's did not make the cut.


Now it's up to the House and Senate to conference and come to agreement between the two versions. The unified bill will need to then be passed by both chambers. If you are inclined to do so, reach out to your Senators and let them know that you don't want to see House Amendment 106 in the final version.

Do you know when this will come back up or where I could look to find that out for myself?

 

[Oak]

Do you know when this will come back up or where I could look to find that out for myself?

Sorry, have not been on since I posted that. The next procedural step is for the House to vote to send it to conference, which I hear could happen as soon as this week. Then the House and Senate will appoint a conference committee. Conference committees are obligated to hold at least one public meeting. Time is running short, because the House is scheduled to recess most of August, and the existing Farm Bill expires at the end of September. The changes to SNAP in the House version are mucking the process up. I'll try to post to this thread if I hear any updates.

 

[Oak]

Another note of interest/concern: I attended a short presentation last week by Chase Adams, Senior Policy and Information Director for American Sheep Industry. He made note of an upcoming oversight hearing in House Natural Resources next week, which is still not listed on the committee hearings schedule. This is verbatim what he said:

Our next hearing is July 24 in House Natural Resources Oversight. This is something that we have pushed for for a very long time, to have a hearing focused specifically on bighorn sheep, in the House Natural Resources, where we can have the kind of bloodletting we need to have to get this issue brought to light. Testifying at the hearing are John Helle (MT producer), Dave Eliason (PLC), Scott Horngren (WRLC). The hearing will be very, very heavily focused on the bighorn sheep issue, and should help bring light to this issue as we continue to push that Farm Bill amendment from Rep. Cheney through the conference committee.

It's very concerning that an oversight hearing about wild sheep conflicts has no wild sheep advocates testifying. I reached out to WSF when I found out last week, and we have a conference call tomorrow to discuss. We're going to get somebody out there next week.

 

[Oak]

Sorry, have not been on since I posted that. The next procedural step is for the House to vote to send it to conference, which I hear could happen as soon as this week. Then the House and Senate will appoint a conference committee. Conference committees are obligated to hold at least one public meeting. Time is running short, because the House is scheduled to recess most of August, and the existing Farm Bill expires at the end of September. The changes to SNAP in the House version are mucking the process up. I'll try to post to this thread if I hear any updates.

The House voted today to send it to conference. Now the two chambers will appoint conference committee members. We know that Mike Conaway (TX) and Pat Roberts (KS), the two committee chairs, will be on the conference committee.

 

[TheTone]

Thanks, what was WSF's thoughts? Will someone representing bighorns get a seat at the table?

 

[Oak]

Will someone representing bighorns get a seat at the table?

Yes, but we will have to wait until they update the committee schedule to say who that is.

 

[Oak]

Here is information about the hearing next week. The witness that has been added to represent wildlife interests is Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe, Shannon Wheeler.

If you have 1.5 hours to kill, give this hearing from two weeks ago a listen. I'd like to hear from those who know more than me on the subjects about how factual are the comments on public lands grazing reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and the critical importance of ranchers providing initial attack on wildfires. Another interesting comment I noted was ID Lt. Gov. Brad Little saying that some ranchers in ID were forced to give up grazing due to the introduction of a non-native species.