Charles Lyons is a cattle producer from Mountain Home, Idaho. Unlike most ranchers I spoke with during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, Lyons is a first generation rancher who decided to try cowboying about 12 years ago. Also, being from Idaho, a state where 65 percent of the land is federally owned, he has a few different policy issues that are affecting his business.

“The thing that probably affects us most is public land policies,” said Lyons. “We’re 65 percent federally owned. For the majority of us, our ranches are tied into public land.”

Tied into that is water quality and he said the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt at over regulating water quality is a problem. Lyons also said the Endangered Species Act, which keeps ranchers from being able to graze cattle on public lands, has been a challenge for him and other ranchers in the state.

But these bumps in the road don’t get him down. When asked what he is most optimistic about, he is excited to be one of the ranchers that helps to feed a growing population. Not only is he going to help feed the world, but he’s doing it in a very sustainable manner.

Listen to my interview with Charles Lyons:How Public Land Policies Affect the Cattle Industry

Photos from the conference are posted to this photo album: 2011 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album.