An important environmental debate is currently focused on the use of public lands by livestock owners, particularly owners of cattle and sheep. Historically, the federal government has sold leases and permits for grazing on public land to these individuals at very low prices, often a few cents per acre.

In recent years, many environmentalists have argued that cattle are responsible for the destruction of large tracts of rangeland in the western states. They believe the government should either greatly increase the rates they charge for the use of western lands or prohibit grazing entirely on large parts of it. In response, livestock owners have claimed that they practice good-land management techniques and that in many cases the land is in better condition than it was before they began using it.

The Public Lands Council (PLC) is one of the primary groups representing those who...