Rangeland and Grazing
The Forest Service serves as caretaker for our natural resources. These caretakers, also known as Rangeland Management Specialists, help regulate grazing use for various livestock on national forests and other managed lands via grazing permits and vegetation monitoring.
Grazing Permits
Term Grazing Permits are issued to those who own livestock to be grazed for a farm or ranch operation. Livestock grazing is permitted on designated areas of land, called allotments. There are 89 allotments on the Modoc National Forest. The Forest administers 74 grazing permits for various ranches in the community. These permits are issued for 10-year periods complete with terms and conditions graziers must comply with.
Grazing permits are also supplemented with Annual Operating Instructions. An individual Annual Operating Instructions is customized for each grazing season as part of the terms and conditions of the Term Grazing Permit. These instructions include guidance to address annual resource conditions, livestock numbers, periods of use, pasture rotations, monitoring and range improvement projects.
Vegetation Monitoring
An important part of the Forest Service mission is protecting and managing sustainable, multiple uses on forests and grasslands. This includes monitoring changes in forest conditions and tracking implementation and effectiveness.
Rangeland Management Specialists also monitor vegetation to assure graziers follow directions and standards. They work with ranchers and livestock graziers to conserve forest and rangeland resources, to benefit the public for years to come.
Devil's Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory
The Devil's Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory spans 500 square miles of rugged terrain, just outside Alturas, California.
It's the largest wild horse territory managed by the Forest Service.
Learn more about the territory and adoptions.