U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to modernize federal grazing management and boost the domestic beef supply. This agreement bridges the gap between the U.S. Forest Service (FS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to cut bureaucratic red tape, streamline grazing permits and ensure “no net loss” of grazing capacity for the 20,000 American ranchers across 28 states who graze on federal lands.
FS and the BLM are responsible for a total of 240 million acres of federal rangelands. The two agencies together administer more than 23,000 permits and leases held by ranchers who graze their livestock on approximately 29,000 allotments. About 10% of grazing allotments, or roughly 24 million acres, are not under permit but are targeted as opportunities to allow more grazing on federal lands. The FS collects an average of $6 million annually in grazing fees.
Modernizing the Forest Service and BLM Partnership
According to a USDA press release, the agreement formalizes collaboration between the USDA and the Department of the Interior to ensure more efficient, transparent and responsive management across federal lands. By building on the recently released Grazing Action Plan, the agencies aim to eliminate costly bureaucracy and lower consumer prices.
“Today’s signing sends a clear message: the Trump administration is putting America’s farmers and ranchers first,” Rollins says. “Building on our action plan for American ranchers announced in the fall, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are already delivering.”
Burgum adds the partnership is dedicated to strengthening ranching operations while safeguarding public lands.
“By working closely with American ranchers, we are enhancing communication, investing in innovation and modernizing our approach to land management practices to deliver real results for the people who feed and sustain this country,” he says.
A “No Net Loss” Mandate for Animal Unit Months (AUMs)
A central pillar of the MOU is the commitment to maintaining grazing capacity wherever possible. The agreement affirms a goal of “no net loss” of animal unit months (AUMs) within allotments.
To support this, federal agencies will look to expand practical land management tools, including the reopening of vacant allotments. Currently, about 10% of grazing allotments — roughly 24 million acres — are not under permit and represent a significant opportunity to increase domestic beef production.
For generations, ranchers have played a vital role in feeding the nation, supporting rural economies and stewarding public lands. The MOU recognizes permittees as essential partners and directs federal agencies to engage directly with those who live and work on the land.
Bridging the Gap Between Agencies and Producers
To foster a deeper understanding of the industry, the MOU introduces “Ranch Immersion” programs for federal employees. These initiatives will place agency staff on working ranches to build firsthand knowledge of operational challenges. Additionally, the agreement focuses on:
- Structured Engagement: Expanding collaboration through learning roundtables.
- Data Access: Improving data systems to make allotment information more predictable for producers.
- Streamlined Permitting: Reducing delays for infrastructure improvements and permit renewals.
Wildfire Response: New Liaisons for Grazing Permittees
Recognizing the constant threat of wildfire to Western rangelands, the MOU establishes grazing permittee wildfire liaisons. These liaisons will ensure ranchers have a direct point of contact and a voice during both wildfire response and recovery efforts. Furthermore, the agreement promotes the use of targeted grazing as a tool to reduce fuel loads and mitigate wildfire risk, alongside the adoption of innovative technologies like virtual fencing.
According to the USDA press release, the agreement supports not only producers, but also American families by strengthening the domestic food supply chain. By lowering costs and improving efficiency for ranchers, the initiative helps keep food affordable and reduces reliance on foreign imports.
“Today’s signing marks an important step forward in modernizing federal grazing management and reflects a broader commitment to rural prosperity by fortifying the American beef industry as directed by President Trump’s order Ensuring Affordable Beef for the American Consumer,” the release says.
Ranchers Called, Agencies Answered
Public lands ranchers joined Secretaries Rollins and Burgum as they signed the MOU to launch their Grazing Action Plan.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) leaders and members then participated in a roundtable discussing cooperative work to address longstanding challenges for federal lands grazing permittees. PLC President Tim Canterbury, PLC Past President Mark Roeber and Industry Issues Committee Chairman Nate Thomson were joined by NCBA President-elect Kim Brackett, American National CattleWomen (ANCW) Past President Nikki Weston, Washington ranchers Stephanie and Nick Martinez, Arizona permittee Dan Bell, and Colorado rancher Nancy Roberts in raising critical ranching issues to be addressed.
“Public lands ranchers are resilient by nature, but we still need significant relief from the burdensome federal regulations that make it harder to do our jobs every day. This MOU will make it easier to ranch on public lands and will help improve the health of western landscapes,” Canterbury says. “By speeding up the permitting process and expanding the use of targeted grazing, the federal government is ensuring that more ranchers will keep ranching and that rangelands will face less degradation and destruction from wildfires and mismanagement.”
This plan focuses on boosting rancher resiliency by assessing vacant allotments, unifying permitting frameworks between agencies, expanding the use of targeting grazing to prevent wildfires, and establishing a rancher liaison program for wildfire incident command centers.
“When you raise cattle on federal lands, it requires a great deal of work to sort through the government red tape. This plan will cut bureaucracy by streamlining the permitting process, expanding grazing access, and optimizing targeted grazing in areas that are the most vulnerable to wildfires,” Brackett explains. “This MOU will provide much needed regulatory relief to ranchers and make it easier for us to carry out the voluntary conservation essential to maintaining these working lands.”
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