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Show Letter oslis grazing fee hike freeze . fees next year. It will cost Utah's 2,068 Federal land grazing lease holders an additional ad-ditional $416,480. Nationally, the cost is projected to be near six million dollars." "In 1975, when the livestock live-stock industry's economic situation was not as severe as it is today, the President acted to freeze grazing fees. That is what we are asking Mr. Carter to do now. Freezing Freez-ing fees , at the 1977 level for another year will not only assist llvestockmen, it will allow Congress time to fully review the matter. Several Sev-eral of us have already co-sponsored co-sponsored a resolution calling call-ing for a moratorium in the fee hike. The letter to the President is another effort to accomplish the same thing." U. S. Senator Jake Garn (R-Ut) today joined 15 of his colleagues in asking the President to freeze 1978 public pub-lic lands grazing fees at this year's level. "The Secretaries of Agriculture Agri-culture and Interior recently recent-ly released a report in which a substantial grazing fee hike is recommended," saidSen-ator saidSen-ator Garn. "It suggests that grazing fees be increased 25 percent per year until the 'fair market value' for these fees for the use of public lands is reached. After the 'fair market value' is reached, reach-ed, the fees could be adjusted adjust-ed up or down at a maximum annual rate of 12 percent to keep pace with fees charged for use of private grazing lands." "I am concerned that the computation of 'fair market value' produced by the government gov-ernment ignores some very real factors. The Federal agencies have consistently ignored the input they have received from ranchers and stockmen in developing their regulations, and they may have ignored Congressional intent and action. Before any increases go into effect, these issues must be clarified." clari-fied." "The past four years have been devastating to the nation's na-tion's stockmen. Herds have been liquidated, large debts have been Incurred, and, of course, many have been forced out of the livestock business altogether. Given these circumstances, it is clear that the livestock industry in-dustry cannot withstand a large increase in grazing |