Adopted resolutions: WSGA passes several resolutions during recent convention
Cheyenne – During the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) 150th Anniversary Celebration and Convention, several resolutions were passed during a WSGA Business and Board Meeting on June 10.
Resolution process
Proposed resolutions are brought to members of WSGA in committee meetings. Any member of WSGA can bring forth a resolution to a committee to be voted on. The committees include: Private and State Lands; Wildlife; Livestock Health; Ag Promotion; Brand; Federal Lands; Marketing, Transportation and Labor; Ag Finance and Tax; and Water.
After resolutions are voted on by members in the committee meetings, they then get passed on to the resolution committee and then voted on by the membership. Once passed by the membership, they become WSGA policy.
Adopted resolutions
During the board meeting, major topics included consideration of resolutions, adoption of a budget and election of two officers.
Board members adopted and approved several resolutions. The first resolution requested the words “Natural Resources” remain in the name of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as the university goes through the reorganization process.
WSGA urges any revisions to the current federal sage grouse plans be state-specific, respect the primacy of the state in the management of sage grouse and applicable federal lands in Wyoming be based on the current State Sage Grouse Management Plan.
Another resolution adopted states anywhere over 48 percent of the land surface in Wyoming is currently held by the federal government, and federal regulatory constraints and litigation are increasingly restricting the multiple use of these lands, including their long-established historic use for livestock grazing. Further increases in federal land holdings in Wyoming threaten the viability of the ranching industry and the economy of the state.
WSGA strongly objects to any fee title land acquisitions in Wyoming by the federal government unless an equal or greater acreage of federal land in the state is concurrently transferred to state or private ownership; and further resolved, WSGA urges the Wyoming Congressional delegation to seek passage of legislation which would preclude the federal government from acquiring a net increase in fee title to lands.
In addition, WSGA also strongly opposes any acquisition of private land by any federal agency without notice to the governor and county commissions of the counties involved, with notice to be given prior to any negotiations on specific projects and without the approval of the state legislature prior to the acquisition.
During the meeting, Pat Cullen of Wheatland was elected to represent Region II and Will Hudson of Sinclair was elected to represent Region IV. Outgoing Region Vice Presidents include Dan Frank of Region II and Brad Mead of Region IV.
Policy terms
“All of our policies expire every five years,” shared WSGA Executive Vice President Jim Magagna. “For the past two years we’ve had a policy passed by our membership stating we would support an increase in the fuel tax in Wyoming of up to nine cents a gallon to provide more revenue for state local governments.”
“This year, in lieu of high fuel prices, WSGA recommended not to continue the policy and it was discontinued,” he said.
The next meeting will be held during the Winter Roundup, Dec. 5-7 in Casper at the Ramkota.
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
