WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — House lawmakers are making moves in the fight against farm predators, passing the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which would delist the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act.
Gray wolves have been on the endangered species list on and off since 1974, and the Pubic Lands Council estimates their population has grown 300 percent over the last 50 years. They were briefly delisted in 2020, but a federal court overturned that rule in 2022.
Leaders from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) say restoring the 2020 rule would give certainty back to cattle producers, warning that wolves are causing them financial and emotional losses.
The bill now moves on to the Senate for consideration.
The question of whether a traditional, multi-year Farm Bill is a constitutional necessity or merely an outdated artifact of legislative compromise — as opposed to a model of targeted reconciliation and ad hoc assistance — is one of the most critical debates in current agricultural policy.
New farm payment rules allow LLC members to have separate limits, but some local FSA offices are still applying outdated policies, creating confusion for producers.
Utah Senator John Curtis joins us for “Champions of Rural America” to discuss new legislation to improve forest management and wildfire prevention and its broader implications for rural communities and infrastructure.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson joins us to discuss rural electric co-ops’ push for expanded USDA loan programs, rising energy demand from data center expansion, wildfire mitigation and other policy priorities impacting rural power infrastructure.