Wyoming people appreciate their agricultural heritage

Bill Sniffin has a deep, abiding feeling for the land. One of his core philosophies is that the image of the Wyoming ranching family is perhaps the most important of all symbols for the people of the state.

And despite the fact that fewer than 10 percent of Wyoming's people now rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, he contends that we should never forget nor imperil this important heritage.

He sees the demise of the family ranch and farm as a critical problem for Wyoming in the 21st century. Bill Sniffin says that if the mineral industry is the heart of Wyoming's economy, then agriculture must be its soul.

It is obvious to everyone that the federal government is taking a much stricter approach to ranchers' rights on federal land. Large numbers of ranchers have seen their federal leases change to their detriment. This is the result of Bill Clinton-led effort to utilize federal land for other uses besides agriculture. Most ranch families have learned the hard way that they should not mess with Uncle Sam when it comes to trying to maintain their longstanding way of life.

Bill recalls hearing about this, back in 1994, a speech given by the state director of the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM leader told a large crowd that his outfit is no longer known as "the Bureau of Livestock and Mining." That director outlined a clear picture of the future where tourism and other public access issues would share equal billing with agriculture.

Now pressure is onstate to maintain a similar philosophy when it comes to leasing state land. Access will continue to be a huge issue and offers a tremendous opportunity for squabbles. Such squabbles seem to always end with the judgment ruling against the ranch family.

So how can a modern ranch family survive in such a climate?

Bill Sniffin possesses no magic wand to help make the small family rancher's problems disappear. But he does pledge to all those ranching families out there that he respects Wyoming's ranching heritage and will work to maintain the viability of the family-owned ranches if elected governor.

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Authorized by William C. Sniffin
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Bill Sniffin for Governor - P.O. Box 900 ­ Lander, WY 82520 (307) 332-3111, ext. 17