Elko County recognizes the importance of agriculture, particularly the traditional family farms and ranches that have played such an important part in the social and economic well being of our nation. Elko County also recognizes how increasing governmental regulations are gradually reducing and eliminating farms and ranches. The natural resource management advisory commission should broadly utilize studies and documents such as the analysis of impacts of public land grazing on the Elko County economy and Mountain City management area, 2007, by Thomas R. Harris of UNR, or future updates, for reference of the social, cultural and economic impacts of grazing to Elko County, Elko County public land use policy plan, Elko County open space plan and any future studies and documents or updates.
In order to reverse such trends, Elko County supports, encourages, and promotes policies that will lead to strengthening and supporting family farming and ranching. Elko County supports and encourages the right to:
(A) Private investment in range improvements. Public land permit holders making investments in range betterment should be given increased grazing capacity or allowed other benefits.
(B) Appropriate and fair fee schedules that reflect all nonfee costs of running livestock on federally managed lands.
(C) Subleasing of grazing rights.
(D) Legislation at the state and federal levels should be reviewed and changed to give incentives to the family based farming or ranching business. (Ord. 01-2009, 6-17-2009, eff. 7-24-2009)