ASI, PLC provide national updates during annual WCSWG convention
Sheep and wool producers from across the West converged in Cody Nov. 6-8 for the 2025 West Central States Wool Growers (WCSWG) Convention, complete with networking opportunities, educational insights and industry updates.
The morning sessions on both Nov. 7-8 featured presentations from Public Lands Council (PLC) Secretary Robbie LeValley and American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) President Ben Lehfeldt, who provided updates on federal policy, trade activities, labor reform and the shifting regulatory landscape in Washington, D.C.
Securing wins in Washington, D.C.
On Nov. 7, programming kicked off with LeValley’s discussion on current happenings in Washington, D.C., which she delivered on a positive note.
“It is encouraging we are in a Congress that is the most grazing friendly we’ve had in a long time, which is a good thing,” she stated.
LeValley noted PLC has secured some significant wins on Capitol Hill this year, including rolling back the U.S. Forest Service’s Old-Growth Amendment and eliminating the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) instructional memorandum which would have made it impossible to renew federal grazing permits and perpetuated the risk of contact between Bighorn and domestic sheep.
She further highlighted significant regulatory reforms attained through President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), including reform to the Fix Our Forests Act.
“We are looking to implement regulatory reform that will last beyond the next Congress, fad or social media buzz,” she stated. “We are truly looking for long-term gain, and we look forward to continuing our hard work on pushing for reform.”
During his presentation on the morning of Nov. 8, Lehfeldt also emphasized several wins ASI achieved in the OBBA, including securing critical baseline funding for the Wool Trust Fund at $2.25 million annually through 2031, providing stable support for wool programs.
He also mentioned the Loan Deficiency Payment rate increase for non-graded wool from 40 to 55 cents, which will go into effect in 2026 and is the first adjustment in 20 years, as well as an increase in Sheep Industry Improvement Center funding from $2 to $3 million over the course of five years and expanded export funding, which will assist U.S. wool producers in navigating challenging foreign markets amid Chinese tariffs.
“These are the first meaningful upward adjustments we have seen in decades,” Lehfeldt said.
Requesting a safeguard investigation
Lehfeldt spent the majority of his presentation outlining ASI’s legislative and trade priorities, particularly highlighting the association’s filed request to the U.S. Trade Representative to initiate a Section 201 safeguard investigation into lamb imports from Australia and New Zealand, citing “substantial injury” to American producers caused by a surge in foreign imports.
The association compiled injury data representing 37 to 40 percent of the domestic lamb industry – a threshold Lehfeldt said ASI has never reached in previous trade actions.
He pointed out, if the International Trade Commission (ITC) joins the case – which ASI anticipates – the process will move swiftly with three to four months of subpoenas, surveys and data gathering, followed by a formal hearing on injury, a remedy phase proposing actions to restore competitiveness and final authority resting with President Trump.
“We can prove all the injury in the world, but if the administration doesn’t sign off, nothing will happen,” Lehfeldt said. “This is why political push has to continue daily.”
He noted the case is expected to cost over $1 million, which will be drawn from ASI’s producer-funded Guard Dog and Fund II accounts, while a formal fundraising effort will launch once the ITC responds.
If successful, Lehfeldt said a safeguard action could secure up to eight years of trade remedies, giving domestic producers time to rebuild market share.
Continuing the fight
While the fight for federal policy reform has been mostly successful, the two speakers emphasized there is still work to be done.
LeValley shared some of the things PLC continues to work on include practical and producer-oriented Endangered Species Act (ESA) modifications and migratory bird policy changes, especially to address black vultures and ravens which are increasingly problematic for Western livestock operations.
She further noted PLC is still in the process of rolling back the 2001 Roadless Rule, which established prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvests on nearly 60 million acres of national forests and grasslands; the BLM’s Public Lands Rule, which recognizes conservation as an essential component to public lands management and Greater sage grouse plans, which affect grazing permits.
While many of these issues have been ongoing for years, LeValley emphasized meaningful headway is finally being made.
In his presentation, Lehfeldt reiterated ASI’s top farm bill priority is securing a true risk management tool for sheep producers who currently lack futures markets or sector-specific insurance.
He also emphasized the need for H-2A labor reform, effective predator management and streamlining the ESA, and he touched on ASI’s expanding partnerships with the Solar Grazing Association and the American Lamb Board, noting strong demand for sheep in vegetation management projects across the Midwest and other eastern states.
Both LeValley and Lehfeldt underscored the strength of collaboration among ag industry groups such as PLC, ASI, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, state associations and western lawmakers.
“It is the team effort that gets wins over the finish line,” LeValley noted. “You are all part of it every time you answer an action alert or talk to your Congressional delegation.”
Lehfeldt concluded his presentation by acknowledging the retirement of longtime ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick, noting ASI is finalizing a leadership transition plan while conducting an extensive search for candidates to fill the position.
“We want the right person, so we’re not going to rush this,” he stated.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
