Ranchers and farmers gathered in Albuquerque this week, in part to raise awareness about claims that the U.S. Department of Agriculture continues to discriminate against them.
In the past the USDA with women, blacks, Latinos and Native Americans, in some cases for denying grazing permits.
The permits allow ranchers to fatten up their animals by setting them out to forage for extended periods of time on Forest Service land.
But David Sanchez said in some cases the agency had no scientific or technical reason for denying or reducing permits. He鈥檚 with the Northern New Mexico Stockman鈥檚 Association.
鈥淭hese people that are small permittees, they鈥檙e trying to sustain their families, their customs and cultures,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 wipe out somebody's operation, cancel their whole permit, with no justification.鈥�
Sanchez said there鈥檚 in federal court where ranchers had to pull their cattle from the Carson National Forest before the grazing season was over.
The head of the USDA acknowledged a history of at the agency when he took office in 2009.
