Cattle ranchers in Western states are fighting for attention in the long-overdue Farm Bill.

It has been eight years since lawmakers drafted an updated measure, which is supposed to be renewed every five. Washington lawmakers are struggling to come to terms on a number of high-profile issues, including financial support for agriculture producers and beef farmers worry their issues are being overlooked.

The Farm Bill currently under consideration in Washington includes a bipartisan provision to strengthen the ability of farmers and ranchers to conserve wildlife habitat while maintaining economically viable working lands.

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Shaleas Harrison, policy manager for the Western Landowners Alliance, said protecting conservation in the Farm Bill is equally important as commodity crop prices and support for livestock and other agricultural producers.

"There's a common saying in the West, 'What's good for the bird is good for the herd.' You know, it's not just a metaphor. It expresses the important relationship between healthy ecosystems and the livestock that graze them," Harrison explained.

The Farm Bill currently awaits action in the Senate. An amendment to the version of the Farm Bill under consideration would allow producers to be compensated for the forage they provide to wildlife while investing in habitat improvements at the same time. It is called "program stacking" among federal agencies.

Harrison stressed the Farm Bill needs to address the stark reality the U.S. beef herd is at a 75-year low.

"It's not looking good for the loss of farm and ranch land. Across the West, we're losing so many acres every year. A day that the Farm Bill doesn't get passed is potentially another farm or ranch that has gone out of business," Harrison emphasized.

The USDA has used program stacking in the past, including during a Migratory Big Game Initiative in 2018.