WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman, all R-Wyo., sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that he accommodate Wyoming ranchers, who are busy with calving season, by extending the comment period by 30 days for a new rule titled, “Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison.”
In the letter, the delegation pointed out that because the proposed rule would disproportionately impact Wyoming, due to the logistical realities of the cattle business, the USDA needs to allow more time for comment to gain a better understanding of the real-world impact of their potential decision.
“Wyoming, for example, has very little in the way of in-state slaughter or confined feeding capacity,” the delegation wrote. “The overwhelming majority of Wyoming’s cattle are raised on the open range. When producers are ready to sell their stock, especially if they are selling to a feeder or directly to a slaughterhouse, a significant number of Wyoming cattle are sold and shipped out-of-state. They are sent to states located in the Midwest and south-central regions of the country, where the majority of America’s feeding and slaughter capacities are located.”
Click here for a copy of the letter.
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