While in DC for the annual American Farm Bureau Federation Resolutions Meeting, President Todd Fornstrom and Executive Vice President Kerin Clark and other western state Farm Bureau leaders took time to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss western issues such as grazing regulations, endangered species management and the importance of private lands to conservation.  

“Having the Western State Farm Bureaus meet together with the agency officials provided the opportunity to discuss perspectives from different areas of the west on pertinent and timely issues,” Clark said. 

Meetings with Interior Department officials focused largely on pending federal grazing regulations and how changes could affect permittees across the West. Fornstrom noted the discussion provided an opportunity for producers to explain how regulations function on the ground, where conditions vary widely. 

“It was productive to meet with Department of Interior officials to discuss important issues to Wyoming and the West,” Clark said. “As Wyomingites, both Director Nesvik and Associate Deputy Secretary Karen Budd-Falen know and understand the issues important to Wyoming agriculture.” 

With Nesvik, discussions centered on wildlife management and the role states play in balancing conservation with agricultural production. Clark said Farm Bureau leaders emphasized the need for flexibility in managing recovered species and for policies that recognize the contributions of private landowners. 

“We discussed the importance of states having flexibility in managing species, supporting a durable delisting rule for endangered species, and the important role private landowners play in providing wildlife habitat,” Clark said. “We also talked about the impact of ravens preying on sheep and what that means for producers.” 

Those conversations, Clark added, reinforced Farm Bureau policy supporting state-led wildlife management rather than federal mandates. 

“With Associate Deputy Secretary Karen Budd-Falen, we discussed the pending grazing regulations and were able to share input from each state on how grazing regulations impact individual permittees,” Clark said. 

President Fornstrom reiterated WyFB’s policy of protecting private property rights, and keeping management of public lands local, as opposed to federal.  

“When the federal government gets involved, a lot of time their solutions are cookie cutter,” Fornstrom said. “Everybody does the same thing, and that doesn’t always work. Each state and each ecosystem is unique, so a state-led approach is way better than a federally mandated program with no flexibility.” 

“They really wanted some input from all areas that deal with Interior,” he continued. “It’s not one-size-fits-all. They’re trying to make grazing regulations more user-friendly, more uniform, and more workable for all the different areas.” 

Additionally, Clark and Fornstrom were able to meet with Wyoming’s congressional delegation on their trip to DC.These meetings with Wyoming’s congressional delegation provided another opportunity to share producer perspectives directly with lawmakers.  

Fornstrom applauds the Wyoming delegation for remaining accessible and engaged with Farm Bureau members, both in Wyoming and in Washington.“Our representatives are always so refreshing to talk to because they generally agree with our stance,” Fornstrom said.  

“They’re very good at listening. I know so many other states that can’t get into the office, much less actually talk to the senator or the representative themselves,” he said. ““Our representatives want input from us,” Fornstrom said. “They want to hear from producers, and that matters.” 

Fornstrom noted their meeting with Rep. Harriet Hageman was particularly productive, noting her familiarity with regulatory processes and timelines. 

“She really understands how the government is supposed to run, how regulations are supposed to be made, and how they’re not supposed to be made,” he said. “Having someone who understands the rules of engagement is critical.” 

While meetings with Sen. John Barrasso were brief due to scheduling constraints, Fornstrom said the visit served as a valuable check-in. Discussions with Sen. Cynthia Lummis’s office included conversations about conservation programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). 

While acknowledging that CRP has benefits, Fornstrom said its unintended consequences have been particularly challenging in the West. 

“For every good program that people like, it sometimes has negative consequences that we don’t really think of,” he said. “CRP has been really hard on the West. It retires the ground, nobody’s out there working it, and small towns really have not benefited.” 

Clark said congressional visits are a critical part of Farm Bureau’s advocacy work, allowing leaders to connect policy discussions in Washington to the experiences of producers back home. 

“In Wyoming, we are fortunate to see our congressional delegation around the state at meetings and events throughout the year,” Clark said. “But it’s also invaluable to visit with them when we’re in Washington, D.C. These one-on-one meetings give us the opportunity to talk about specific legislation and share insights directly from our members.” 

Clark noted those conversations are most effective when Farm Bureau members are involved at every level. 

“These meetings reinforce why grassroots engagement is so important,” she said. “When we bring the voices of Wyoming producers to Washington, it strengthens our ability to advocate for policies that make sense on the ground.” 

“We’ve got good representatives,” he said. “And it’s our job to keep showing up, sharing our perspective and making sure Wyoming agriculture is part of the conversation.”