Show Government Disregards Grazing Fee Pleas Announces Raise to 10 Take Effect in 1969 The Bureau of the Budget announced announced an an- today that grazing fees for federal lands administered by the Departments of Agriculture Agriculture ture and the Interior will be higher this year Stockmen using lands administered administered ad ad- ministered by Interiors Interior's Bureau of Land Management in 1969 will pay 44 cents to graze one cow or five sheep for a month compared with 33 cents In 1968 THIS FEE increase will affect BUd Vernal District livestock livestock live live- stock operators These operators operators oper oper- run about cattle and sheep AUM's The Bureau of the Budgets Budget's Circular A A 25 25 in 1959 instructed federal agencies to charge fair market value for such services in line with instructions from congress in 1952 to prescribe fali fal fair and equitable fees which would be as uniform as practicable practicable among the various federal feder feder- al agencies SCHEDULES developed with the Bureau of the Budget call for grazing fees to Increase in 10 annual steps until they reach a fair market value of per per- cow month cow month with adjustments adjust ments based on an index of current private forage prices The fair market value for range forage was based on the results of a 1966 survey of west western rn livestock operations conducted conducted con con- ducted for the two departments by Agricultures Agriculture's Statistical Reporting Reporting Re Re- porting Service The livestock industry and financial institutions institutions institutions cooperated in the survey GROUNDWORK had bad begun with economic studies of the ranching industry conducted for forthe forthe forthe the departments by western universities universities uni uni- and Agricultures Agriculture's Economic Economic Ec Ec- Research Service It is calculated that the 1969 fair market value of public land grazing is This includes the base fee adjusted by bythe bythe bythe the current forage price index of two cents Grazing fees will continue to be less than this figure for 10 years while the fees are raised in annual steps to minimize the effect on stockmen FOR lands the rates will take effect for the entire 1969 1909 grazing season formal notice will be published in the Federal Register Both Doth departments departments depart depart- ments proposed the new fee schedule last November 15 Interior published its propos ed fee regulations in the Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral Register November 16 and reviewed the proposals with its gracing grating district advisory boards and with Its National Advisory Board Council NUMEROUS comments were received from members of the livestock industry from conservation conservation con on and farm and range organizations and from state and local governments The decision was reached after careful consideration bothof both bothof bothof of the effects upon the livestock livestock livestock live live- stock industry and the responsibility responsibility to ti the general public which uses many of the same lands for other purposes under use multiple management prin prin- Both departments will study closely and continuously the effects ji fit |