Permit Value: A Hidden Key to the Public Land Grazing Dispute

1) Please describe in brief your ranch and ranching experience. When was the ranch bought? How big is it, in both acres and carrying capacity? What percentage of capacity is federal? What percentage of the family income does it bring in? How long have you and your family been ranching? Is there anything else that you want to include?

2) How many AUMs is your allotment(s) currently permitted for? What is its actual use? Has this changed over the years?

3) How do you feel about the current allotment system?

4) Do you feel that you or your family paid for your allotment with your ranch? How much? How much do you feel it is worth now?

5) How big of an influence do you feel the real estate value of grazing permits is in the resistance of ranchers to cuts in their AUM levels?

6) How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to the prioritization of other uses? How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to overgrazing? How about a system that allowed a willing rancher to retire an allotment for compensation?

Questions to the Nonpermittees

1) Please describe in brief your ranch and ranching experience. When was the ranch bought? How big is it, in both acres and carrying capacity? What percentage of the family income does it bring in? How long have you and your family been ranching? Is there anything else that you want to include?

2) Have you ever had an allotment? If so, how many AUMs was your allotment(s) permitted for? Was the actual use different? Did it change over the years? What percentage of that ranch's capacity was federal?

3) How do you feel about the current allotment system?

4) Do you feel that ranchers pay for their allotments when they buy their ranch? How much do you feel a federally leased AUM is worth now as part of the real estate value of a ranch? Has that changed over the years?

5) How big of an influence do you feel the real estate value of grazing permits is in the resistance of ranchers to cuts in their AUM levels?

6) How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to the prioritization of other uses? How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to overgrazing? How about a system that allowed a willing rancher to retire an allotment for compensation?

1) Please describe in brief your experience with the public land grazing allotment system. Have you ever owned or worked on a ranch? Is there anything else that you want to include?

2) How do you feel about the current allotment system? How have you feelings about this system changed over the years?

3) What, if any, changes would you like to see in the allotment system?

4) Do you feel that ranchers pay for their allotments when they buy their ranch? How much do you feel a federally leased AUM is worth now as part of the real estate value of a ranch? Has that changed over the years?

5) How big of an influence do you feel the real estate value of grazing permits is in the resistance of ranchers to cuts in their AUM levels?

6) How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to the prioritization of other uses? How would you feel about a system that compensated ranchers for forced AUM reductions due to overgrazing? How about a system that allowed a willing rancher to retire an allotment for compensation?