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
RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey speaks with Texas’s Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez about USMCA renegotiation and its impact on U.S.–Mexico agriculture trade.
CoBank Knowledge Exchange’s Jeff Johnston shares the group’s positive perspective on expanding data centers into rural areas and weighs the risks and rewards for those communities.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer discusses how January’s WASDE report could impact ARC and PLC payments and updates on disaster relief programs as farmers navigate a challenging market environment.
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show continues through Saturday, wrapping up another successful year of celebrating agriculture in the Commonwealth.
Shaun Haney joined us to discuss Canada’s new trade agreement with China, the potential impact on farmers and exporters, and what it could mean for U.S.–Canada trade relations going forward.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller discusses the state’s latest efforts to prevent the New World screwworm from reaching Texas.
Economists are also closely watching how policy decisions in Washington could influence markets moving forward. Analysts say deferred futures for corn, soybeans, and wheat suggest markets are operating near break-even levels, not at prices that would encourage expanded production.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman “GT” Thompson is pushing a “Farm Bill 2.0.”
University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us with important insights on drug safety and rural health during the winter months.
Quinn Rutt of Upstream Ranch previews the Nebraska cattle operation’s 49th Annual Production Sale where buyers can expect standout sire groups and a blend of long-standing ranch practices with modern genetic selection.
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, provides new updates on winter storm impacts and the outlook for rural power reliability.