©2026 League of Conservation Voters
1973 Scorecard Vote
236
164
34
Issues
San Carlos Mineral Strip (H.R. 7730). The vote is on the motion by Rep. Melcher to suspend the rules and pass the bill to reimburse 32 ranchers whose grazing permits were cancelled on lands given back to the Apache Indians. Right before the vote, Rep. Saylor said in a floor speech that the bill would set a precedent for compensating all ranchers whose leases were cancelled, thus making federal agencies reluctant to cancel them for any reason. Most (although not all) conservation groups opposed the bill, arguing that the precedent would make it far more difficult for the federal agencies to control overgrazing on public lands and violate the principle of multiple use. The San Carlos ranchers had no reason to expect special treatment. The Nixon Administration took no official position on the amendment. September 18, 1973. Rejected 236-164 because it failed to get a two-thirds majority. No is the correct vote.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters