WASHINGTON — Domestic cattle operations have decreased by 17% over the last eight years, but the demand for beef has only grown. Congress wants to change that.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote a letter to top federal officials overseeing wildlife and the agriculture sector, urging them to claw back ranching regulations he says has forced ranchers to reduce their herd counts and pose major complications for the U.S. beef industry. Biggs pressed the officials to undo what he considers “extreme environmental” rules that have resulted in “excessive federal mandates.”
“I have received troubling reports that cattle ranchers are being forced to reduce their herd counts because of government mandates and orders related to the use of public grazing lands,” Biggs wrote in the letter exclusively obtained by the Deseret News. “At a time when rebuilding the domestic cattle herd is vital to our food security and rural livelihoods, these mandates are unacceptable. If this is happening, it must stop immediately.”
The letter comes as beef prices peaked this summer, marking the highest price they’ve ever been since data was first collected in the 1980s. Prices have just about doubled in the last 10 years.
Much of that has been caused by smaller herd sizes, paired with the growing demand for beef.
Biggs accused environmental activists of misusing wildlife conservation laws to restrict ranchers and harm their business. Those restrictions while demand is rising, Biggs argues, threatens U.S. food security and job opportunities in rural areas.
The letter cites several environmental protections that restrict how ranchers can use public lands, specifically related to herd grazing — which Biggs argues is actually a helpful practice to “combat wildfires, reduce erosion, promote biodiversity, and regenerate soil.”
“Ranchers are not the problem. They are the solution,” Biggs wrote. “Yet outdated regulations and false claims continue to punish them, while predators such as the Mexican wolf devastate herds under the shield of a misapplied endangered species designation.”
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., speaks as members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus tell reporters about allegations that the government spies on Americans, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 13, 2024. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press
Biggs pushed the officials to restore grazing access for ranchers and “reject radical environmental agendas” to strengthen domestic production of beef.
The letter demands that officials in the Department of Agriculture, the Interior Department, the Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service to audit current rules and guidance related to cattle operation and identify which orders harm herd rebuilding. The agencies must then make a plan to fix those regulations and send that plan to Congress.
Biggs did not include a deadline for the audit, but said it must be done “in a timely manner.” If current restrictions continue, he warned, the U.S. may need to rely on foreign beef production, which he says puts the country’s food security at risk.