The industry that produces food for America’s dinner table is worried. Worried that Sally Jewell, the incoming head of the Department of Interior, will be as uncompromising and one-sided as her predecessors, Ken Salazar and Bruce Babbitt. Farmers and ranchers will watch Jewell closely, because, simply put, her leadership will have a direct impact on what consumers pay at the supermarket.
The situation is not a case of “Chicken Little,” according to an analysis in the Summer 2013 issue of RANGE magazine, an award-winning publication devoted to issues that affect ranchers, outdoorsmen and wildlife.
No stranger to controversy, for more than 20 years RANGE has been the outspoken advocate for people who live and work on the land — people who are skittish because of a long history of antagonism, particularly with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
“No matter what, Sally Jewell is a skilled navigator of corporate bureaucracy, and pretty darn savvy at political engineering, too,” writes Dave Skinner, a Montana environmental expert. “But her history of involvement with public-lands issues is primarily that of urban recreational users, who view public lands strictly as weekend playgrounds.” In meticulous detail, Skinner lays out Jewell’s background and financial connections.
Jewell has no personal history of being directly or overly hostile to the traditional economic multiple uses, such as grazing and access to the public lands that support food production, he writes. “However, she’s never shown any friendship or interest, either, which leaves the question: How will a weekend warrior like Sally Jewell manage the rest of the week on America’s public lands?”
A digital version of the Sally Jewell analysis. “No Hat, No Cattle,” can be found by visiting www.rangemagazine.com.
The situation is not a case of “Chicken Little,” according to an analysis in the Summer 2013 issue of RANGE magazine, an award-winning publication devoted to issues that affect ranchers, outdoorsmen and wildlife.
No stranger to controversy, for more than 20 years RANGE has been the outspoken advocate for people who live and work on the land — people who are skittish because of a long history of antagonism, particularly with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
“No matter what, Sally Jewell is a skilled navigator of corporate bureaucracy, and pretty darn savvy at political engineering, too,” writes Dave Skinner, a Montana environmental expert. “But her history of involvement with public-lands issues is primarily that of urban recreational users, who view public lands strictly as weekend playgrounds.” In meticulous detail, Skinner lays out Jewell’s background and financial connections.
Jewell has no personal history of being directly or overly hostile to the traditional economic multiple uses, such as grazing and access to the public lands that support food production, he writes. “However, she’s never shown any friendship or interest, either, which leaves the question: How will a weekend warrior like Sally Jewell manage the rest of the week on America’s public lands?”
A digital version of the Sally Jewell analysis. “No Hat, No Cattle,” can be found by visiting www.rangemagazine.com.
