Champions of Rural America: Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho backs PLR recission, return of local land decisions

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) joined us on Champions of Rural America to share his insights on upcoming changes to public land management and how they will benefit agriculture and the Western working class.

The Department of the Interior is planning to end the Bureau of Land Management’s 2024 Public Lands Rule, which put conservation on equal footing with recreation and grazing on federal lands.

In this week’s Champions of Rural America, we review what the move holds for ag communities and U.S. energy. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) joined us for his perspective on the regulatory changes.

In his interview with RFD-TV’s own Suzanne Alexander, Rep. Simpson shared how the rescission of the Biden-era rule will empower local decision-making in Idaho and rural America as a whole.

He also provided insight on the conservation issues he expects will be resolved by the rollback, and how overturning the rule will impact the Trump Administration’s “Unleashing American Energy” order.

Simpson also discussed how the agricultural community can help expand his state’s economy with restored access to public lands, and how these changes will benefit the working class in his state.

Related Stories
The DOJ’s new antitrust probe could reshape beef-packer behavior, with potential impacts on fed-cattle prices, processor margins, and long-term competition across the supply chain.
Congressman Blake Moore of Utah discusses the bill’s potential to promote both economic growth and healthier forests on this week’s Champions of Rural America.
Mike Newland with the Propane Education & Research Council shares how producers can prepare for winter weather and the benefits of propane.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today issued a new memorandum to modernize and strengthen America’s wildfire prevention and response system.
Understanding the Big, Beautiful Bill’s complex impact on SNAP benefits – that’s the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV’s legal expert, Roger McEowen.
National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust said farmers face a challenging year with strong supply, murky trade conditions, and uncertain access to their largest market: China.
RFD-TV Markets Expert Tony St. James breaks down the state of agribusiness and harvest progress across the U.S. for the week of Monday, September 15, 2025.
Missouri Cattle RanchHER Alda Owen joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to talk about the all-new episode of FarmHER + RanchHER, which premieres on Thursday, Sept. 19!
U.S. trade talks with China resume, but meat industry leaders say dealing with shifting demand and market uncertainty is nothing new in this side of the ag sector.