Sponsors (2)
The bill expands targeted grazing and builds federal capacity to reduce wildfire fuels—helping protect rural communities and pay ranchers—while risking ecological harm, creating consultation and administrative burdens for tribes/localities, and increasing program costs.
Rural communities and ranchers can use targeted grazing to reduce hazardous fuels, lowering local wildfire risk and protecting homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods.
Federal land agencies (and local partners) will have a coordinated plan within 18 months to deploy grazing and new tools (e.g., virtual fencing), improving planning speed and operational responsiveness for fuels reduction.
Permittees and States can receive temporary permits, cooperative agreements, and reimbursement authorities so ranchers and state partners can be paid for fuel‑reduction grazing work, helping offset costs and encourage participation.
Outdoor users, tribes, and ecosystems could be harmed because expanded or poorly timed/intense grazing and temporary permits may damage sensitive habitats or species and conflict with recreation and conservation goals.
Tribes and local communities may face administrative burdens and need time and resources to engage in consultations and program participation, which could slow implementation and strain local capacity.
Implementing reimbursements, cooperative agreements, and program expansions could increase federal spending or require redirecting existing resources, with costs borne by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Agriculture and Interior Departments to develop a coordinated strategy using livestock grazing and related tools to reduce wildfire risk on federal lands within 18 months.
Introduced June 5, 2025 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress June 5, 2025
Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to develop, within 18 months of enactment, a coordinated strategy for using livestock grazing and related tools to reduce wildfire risk on National Forest System lands and other public lands. The required strategy must consider targeted grazing for hazardous fuels and invasive annual grasses, temporary permits and virtual fencing, workforce development, cooperative agreements (including reimbursements under existing authorities), and must be developed in coordination with federal grazing permit holders and after consultation with states, tribes, local governments, utilities, firefighting agencies, land managers, recreation/conservation groups, and other community members. The provision defines key terms (National Forest System, public lands, Secretary concerned) and specifies that it does not change grazing programs already in effect when the law is enacted.