Witnessing the Maturing of an Organization

By Jim Magagna

In 1961, the Kennedy administration initiated an effort to weaken the livestock grazing focus of public land management in the West. This effort, with exceptions, has continued through much of the past 65 years.  

Fortunately, early in this process industry leaders recognized the need for an organized forceful response. 

These leaders, including Carl Jorgensen and Dean Prosser of Wyoming, established the Public Lands Council (PLC) in 1968. Additional Wyoming leaders who became engaged early on include Joe Burke, Vern Vivion and Bob Bledsoe. 

A single staff person was charged with the responsibility of representing the industry’s interests in Washington, D.C., and early funding was dependent on the efforts of state sheep and cattle organizations.

Fast forward to a professional organization widely recognized and respected for its effectiveness in representing public lands grazing interests before Congress and with both supportive and challenging federal administrations. 

I personally became engaged in the work of PLC beginning in the late 1970s, serving as PLC president in 1989. Thus, I have witnessed over five decades of the maturing of PLC.

Today, PLC is the definitive voice for public lands ranchers, representing approximately 22,000 grazing permits across 14 western states. The outstanding professional staff of three is led by Kaitlynn Glover, a Wyoming native. 

This year, PLC leadership, along with this exceptional staff, were well prepared to engage early with the Trump administration and Congress, outlining a positive agenda for the industry. 

As Glover noted, “Permittees’ voices rose above the fray as principled, trusted and reasoned sources of honest feedback in countless rooms across Washington, D.C.”

The list of public land issues is endless – Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource management plans, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) plan revisions, the BLM Public Lands Rule, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, agency directives and handbooks, and more. 

PLC is the only Washington, D.C.-based organization with a singular focus on the impacts of these matters on grazing permittees and lessees on BLM, USFS and national grasslands. 

Unfortunately, litigation has increasingly become an essential component of the PLC mission.

The PLC Endowment Trust, established approximately 15 years ago with funding provided through negotiations with a pipeline company, has enabled PLC to engage actively in public education and partner recruitment which has broadened support for our industry.  

Nevertheless, the annual PLC assessment of affiliated state organizations remains the backbone of funding for PLC’s mission.

In Wyoming, the Wyoming Public Lands Coalition, comprised of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA), Wyoming Wool Growers Association and Wyoming State Grazing Board, is the state PLC affiliate.  

Each year in October, Wyoming PLC reaches out to all Wyoming permittees to solicit support to enable participation in PLC. 

Today, we have a unique opportunity with the current administration to strengthen the role of public lands grazing in ways which will ensure a brighter future for the use of public lands.

Are you a public lands grazing permittee/lessee? Your financial support for PLC through payment of the Wyoming PLC voluntary assessment is a wise business decision. I urge you to send a payment today. 

For further information or to make a payment over the phone, contact Wyoming PLC at 307-638-3942.

Jim Magagna is the executive vice president of WSGA. He can be reached at jim@wysga.org.