Miller, cattlemen comment on monarch butterfly listing
Commenting on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s proposal to list the monarch butterfly as threatened, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said, “The Biden administration’s recent proposal to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species is just the latest example of federal government overreach which cripples agriculture and rural development. Don’t be misled. This proposal isn’t about protecting butterflies. It’s about out-of-touch and out-of-control Washington bureaucrats forcing a radical agenda that punishes rural America and the people who call it home.”
This designation would slap widespread restrictions on anything that might ‘disturb’ monarch habitat, making it nearly impossible to build or expand in rural areas. We’re not just talking about farmland. This will impact dairies, wind and solar farms, football stadiums, roads, airports, railways, feedlots, rural hospitals, parking lots, logging, and mining — you name it. These restrictions will hit Texas farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and consumers where it hurts, threatening the very industries that drive our state’s and nation’s economies. “This is nothing more than a parting shot from the Biden administration, a desperate move to impose its heavy-handed, radical climate agenda on hard-working Americans before they leave office and sanity returns to our nation’s capital on January 20. This is not a balanced approach to conservation; it’s a roadblock to growth, jobs, and prosperity, all in the name of feel-good policies. We deserve better.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to partner with livestock producers throughout the listing process. “USFWS must increase partnerships with livestock producers throughout this process recognizing their work managing the landscape. As stewards of the land, ranchers work tirelessly to implement sustainable management practices to ensure the longevity of the lands they utilize. Recent studies have shown that grazing and animal agriculture in general builds robust habitat, increases insect populations, and manages invasive species on America’s pastureland,” said NCBA Director of Government Affairs and PLC Garrett Edmonds.
“The USFWS management plan must recognize the voluntary conservation work that ranchers do every day to care for America’s vast natural resources, providing the regulatory certainty necessary for ranchers to manage their operations.”
–The Hagstrom Report
