Public Lands Council

Name

Public Lands Council

Legal name

Public Lands Council

Website

https://publiclandscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association & Public Lands Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Public lands grazing advocacy
• Federal grazing permits
• Ranching trade association
• Livestock grazing policy
• Public lands management

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: PLC generates revenue through membership fees from cattle and sheep producers who hold federal grazing permits. Grazing permittees are encouraged to become members of their state Public Lands Council affiliate.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website, with a dedicated donation page and thank-you confirmation page.
3. Sponsorships: PLC offers sponsorship opportunities, likely for events such as the Annual Meeting and Affiliate Meetings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Public Lands Council is a nonprofit trade association that represents cattle and sheep producers holding federal grazing permits across 11 western states. It delivers advocacy before Congress and federal agencies (BLM, USFS), policy leadership on grazing, NEPA, ESA, EAJA, wild horse and burro management, and wildfire prevention, and member services including annual meetings, regional roundtables, newsletters, and coordinated public comment campaigns.

Product overview

The Public Lands Council (PLC) is an advocacy organization, not a technology product company. PLC does not offer software products or SaaS offerings. Instead, PLC provides advocacy representation, policy leadership, and member services for approximately 22,000 federal grazing permit holders across 250 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in the western United States. Its core 'offerings' consist of federal policy advocacy, annual and regional events, news distribution services, and member engagement campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federal Grazing Permit Advocacy Core advocacy service in which PLC represents approximately 22,000 federal grazing permittees before Congress and federal agencies (BLM, USFS), advancing permit renewal, multiple-use mandate protection, NEPA/ESA/EAJA reform, wild horse and burro management, and wildfire-prevention grazing programs. Targeted at cattle and sheep producers who graze livestock on federal lands in 11 western states.
• PLC Membership (via state affiliates) Membership in PLC is obtained by joining a state Public Lands Council affiliate (e.g., California PLC, Colorado PLC, Arizona PLC, Nevada PLC) or partner state cattlemen's association (e.g., Oregon Cattlemen's Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association). Members receive advocacy representation, eligibility for events, and access to communications. Targeted at federal grazing permittees and supporters across 11 western states.
• Annual Meeting and Grazing Roundtables

Quantifiable outcome

• $24.5 billion in ecosystem services generated annually from federal lands ranching
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• USDA / U.S. Department of AgricultureflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Interior Department to launch the Grazing Action Plan. The MOU outlines cooperation between USFS and BLM on the Grazing Action Plan, focusing on boosting rancher resiliency by assessing vacant allotments, unifying permitting frameworks between agencies, expanding targeted grazing to prevent wildfires, and establishing a rancher liaison program for wildfire incident command centers.
• U.S. Department of the InteriorflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Signed MOU with USDA to launch Grazing Action Plan. Cooperation between USFS and BLM on grazing permit streamlining, vacant allotment assessment, and wildfire prevention through targeted grazing.
• Congressional Leaders (Senators Lummis, Luján; Reps. Maloy, Costa)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 March 2026Both House and Senate introduced resolutions supporting the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), sponsored by bipartisan Congressional leaders. PLC supports these resolutions to honor conservation work of ranchers.
• The Sage Grouse InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership of ranchers, state and federal agencies, universities, nonprofit groups, and businesses that work together toward wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching. PLC members participate in this initiative to protect sage grouse habitat while maintaining grazing operations.
• National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working on solutions to wild horse and burro overpopulation affecting rangelands. PLC works with this coalition to find lasting solutions to agency budget and management hurdles.
• Path Forward GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking group addressing wild horse and burro management challenges. PLC collaborates to find lasting solutions to agency budget and management hurdles for wild horse and burro programs.
• State Affiliates (11 western states)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPLC represents federal lands ranchers through a network of state affiliates including California Public Lands Council, Colorado Public Lands Council, Arizona Public Lands Council, Nevada Public Lands Council, Oregon Cattlemen's Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, and others.
• National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLC works with NCBA on joint policy priorities for cattle producers. PLC leaders participate in NCBA activities and both organizations advocate for grazing permittee interests at the federal level.
• American Sheep Industry AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLC collaborates with ASI on issues affecting sheep producers who hold federal grazing permits, including animal health issues like Foot and Mouth Disease preparedness and bighorn sheep management.
• State Animal Health OfficialscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2022-2024, PLC worked with State Animal Health Officials, NCBA, ASI, and federal agencies to develop guidance for addressing public lands ranchers during Foreign Animal Disease outbreaks like Foot and Mouth Disease.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: Farm Bureau is the largest general U.S. agricultural trade association with state-level affiliates. It operates in the same advocacy and federal-policy space as PLC but covers all of agriculture rather than specializing in federal grazing permits.
• National Farmers Union: NFU is a national agricultural advocacy organization that operates parallel to Farm Bureau and overlaps with PLC's policy advocacy mission at the federal level, though it covers a broader farm constituency than public lands ranchers.

Direct peers

• R-CALF USA: R-CALF USA is an independent cattle producer advocacy organization focused on U.S. cattle industry policy. It competes with PLC/NCBA on certain cattle trade and market issues but shares the cattle-producer advocacy space.
• American Sheep Industry Association: ASI represents U.S. sheep producers and collaborates with PLC on issues affecting sheep permittees, including animal health (FMD preparedness) and bighorn sheep management. It is the closest functional peer for PLC's sheep-producer constituency.
• United States Cattlemen's Association: USCA represents independent U.S. cattle producers on federal policy, marketing, and labeling. It overlaps with PLC's cattle advocacy scope, particularly around grazing and land access issues.
• National Cattlemen's Beef Association: NCBA is the primary trade association for U.S. cattle producers and works jointly with PLC on federal policy priorities for cattle producers. It overlaps directly with PLC's cattle-focused advocacy and shares leadership engagement on grazing issues.

Emerging players

• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: TRCP is a conservation coalition that includes hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations and engages on public lands management policy. It operates in the same federal public lands policy arena as PLC, often with overlapping and at times opposing positions.
• Western Watersheds Project: Western Watersheds Project is an environmental advocacy organization focused on public lands grazing impacts on watersheds and wildlife. It frequently engages in litigation and policy debate that directly affects PLC's constituents.
• Sustainable Northwest: Sustainable Northwest works on conservation and rural economic issues across western public lands, overlapping with PLC's land-stewardship mission but from a conservation/environmental perspective rather than rancher advocacy.

Regional players

• Public Lands Council State Affiliates (e.g., Colorado Public Lands Council): State-level PLC affiliates such as Colorado Public Lands Council, California Public Lands Council, and Nevada Public Lands Council operate as regional chapters that channel members into the national organization and run state-level advocacy parallel to PLC's federal work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PLCranching
• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicLandsCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Lands Council