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USDA Forest Service Seeks Comments on Rangeland Management Rule Change

Press Office

Washington, -

In alignment with the Secretarial Memorandum issued by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the USDA Forest Service is proposing a rule change that would allow greater flexibility in handling cases of unauthorized or excess livestock grazing on national forests and grasslands.

The proposed rule would help ensure sustainable grazing on national forests and grasslands by recognizing the importance of America’s grazing heritage as a conservation tool and an economic resource. It would allow for nonmonetary settlement when unauthorized or excess grazing is unintentional. The Forest Service is requesting public comment on the proposed rule change.

“The Forest Service remains committed to ensuring that our approach to resolving excess and unauthorized grazing is fair, flexible, and straightforward,” said USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen. “These changes allow us to be flexible and to consider each situation, and take into account the honest efforts of ranchers who do their best to uphold their responsibilities on grazing lands.”

The revisions would align Forest Service policy with the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, and follow the recommendations laid out in the 2016 Government Accountability Report, “Unauthorized Grazing: Actions Needed to Improve Tracking and Deterrence Efforts.”

The Forest Service administers over six thousand active permits for livestock grazing on lands managed by the agency. These lands supply a vital source of forage for domestic livestock, especially in the western United States where ranching is a critical part of the economy and a way of life for rural communities. The proposed rule change is intended to support responsible livestock management while also deterring unauthorized use in a manner that is consistent with other public land management agencies.

The public comment period on the proposed revisions to 36 CFR 222.50(h) will remain open for 30 days, beginning November 2. The proposed rule, along with instructions on how to comment, can be found in the Federal Register.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/newsroom/releases/usda-forest-service-seeks-comments-rangeland-management-rule-change