[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1702-E1703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AN EDUCATIONAL MEETING WITH THE COLORADO CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION AND 
                          COLORADO WOOLGROWERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 11, 1998

  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Kent Lebsack of the 
Colorado Cattlemen's Association and Sandy Snider of the

[[Page E1703]]

Colorado Woolgrowers were nice enough to invite my staff into a special 
meeting about Wildlife Services funding during the August district work 
period. I was very interested to learn that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service is threatening to withhold Wildlife Services funds unless 
Colorado returns the responsibility for predator control from the state 
Department of Agriculture to the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Farmers 
and ranchers are now reimbursed with federal funds when they prove that 
mountain lions or bears (as opposed to coyotes--which producers can 
legally shoot) have killed stock. Under state law, producers must have 
someone from the state inspect the carcass to attempt to identify what 
killed the animal.
  During the meeting, one producer expressed some concern about 
granting Most Favored Nation (MFN) trade status to South Africa. The 
topic of water, always important to Colorado agriculture, also came up. 
I want to assure my constituents that I will be paying very close 
attention to the issues of predator control and state primacy over 
water rights. As the Environmental Protection Agency continues to work 
on rules for animal feeding operations, and ill-conceived initiatives 
from Washington continue to threaten Colorado water and agriculture, I 
will continue fighting for the rights of my constituents to carry on 
their productive lives and businesses without undue and inappropriate 
government intervention. I commend the Colorado Cattlemen's Association 
and the Colorado Woolgrowers for all of their hard work and efforts on 
behalf of agriculture, and I look forward to working with them on these 
and other important issues.

                          ____________________