Agricultural groups are hailing changes made to NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act by the U.S. Forest Service. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane says those changes make the policy more workable for ranchers and more flexible in meeting environmental standards.

He says Environmental extremists have used NEPA in the past to push for more (own-uh-russ) onerous rules and seek litigation when they can’t control the rules.

Lane says the revised NEPA calls for federal agencies to work with producers to recognize the environmental practices they’re already utilizing.

Lane says this revised regulation also ensures that ranchers will be at the table whenever any stricter regulation is being looked at.