CATTLE RAISERS COMMUNITY
TSCRA NEWS
TSCRA Director Testifi es to Importance of Voluntary Conservation
O
N MARCH 1, FRANK PRICE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE HOUSE Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and
Forestry about the importance of voluntary conserva- tion. Price is co-owner and operator of the Frank and
Sims Price Ranch in Sterling City and recipient of the 2014 Environmental Stewardship Award presented by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Price, a member of NCBA and a director of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, told the com- mittee that given the diversity of rangelands across the country, voluntary conservation programs are key to achieving meaningful results. “A one-size-fi ts-all approach that accompanies a
top-down regulation does not work,” said Price. “It’s the voluntary part of the conservation practices that really make them work for ranchers. We’ve had suc- cess using some of these conservation programs, but just because a system works for us, does not mean it is right for everybody. If these programs were to become mandatory, the rules and regulations that follow would make it harder for farmers and ranchers to use unique conservation practices to ensure their individual op- erations thrive.” Price said that voluntary conservation efforts have
allowed him and his son to achieve their top goals: ensuring the ranch remains profi table and that they leave the land in better condition for future generations. While drought and wildfi re decimated their ranch in 2011 and 2012, conservation and grazing management allowed them to improve their rangelands through those diffi cult times. One of the programs he says has
TSCRA NEWS
Get Your Passes to the Western Heritage Classic T
SCRA MEMBERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 2 GROUNDS PASSES, GOOD for the entire Western Heritage Classic, May 12 to
15, Abilene — a $34 value. Western Heritage Classic is also offering TSCRA members Friday night Ranch
16 The Cattleman May 2016
Rodeo tickets at the discounted price of $15 each. Go to
tscra.org/whc to request your passes and order rodeo tickets. Also, do not forget to join us for a Ranch Gather- ing on the grounds at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
helped him achieve their goals is the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. “When wi ldf i re
came
through our ranch in 2011, we had to rebuild miles of fenc- ing,” said Price. “EQIP helped us do it through a cost-share. One of the reasons EQIP has become popular among ranch- ers is because it is a working-lands program. Conser- vation programs that keep land in production and do not limit its use are the best for both the ranchers and conserving our resources.” While drought is a constant problem in West Texas,
Frank Price
innovative practices and voluntary conservation pro- grams have allowed the Prices to improve their ranch and make their grasslands resilient. For Price, the suc- cess of conservation and the ranch economy are not at odds in ensuring we can sustain our country’s natural resources and our way of life for generations. “I believe that economic activity and conservation
go hand-in-hand,” said Price. “We are always looking for new, innovative conservation programs that will have tangible benefi ts for the environment and help improve our ranching lands. USDA’s conservation programs have been a great asset to cattle producers and it is important that these programs continue to be implemented in the same practical, producer-friendly and voluntary manner for years to come.”
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