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Adds a new research and extension initiative to fund land‑grant institutions to study and promote the use of ungulate grazing (e.g., cattle, sheep) as a tool to reduce wildfire risk and support post‑fire recovery. Grants will support research, on‑the‑ground trials, and outreach to landowners, managers, and livestock owners, and must assess and address potential harms such as invasive species spread, disease, soil erosion, and water/watershed damage. The program requires education and extension activities so findings and best practices reach farmers, ranchers, and local managers; it emphasizes both wildfire risk reduction and safeguards to reduce negative environmental or biological impacts.
Adds a new paragraph (21) titled "Grazing for wildfire mitigation initiative" to Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)).
Defines "land-grant institution" to mean an 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, or 1994 Institution as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.
Defines "ungulate" to mean a hooved grazing mammal.
Authorizes research and extension grants to be made at land-grant institutions for supporting research and development of ungulate grazing land management techniques.
Research and development must focus on ungulate grazing techniques that promote wildfire mitigation, fuel reduction, and post-fire recovery on public and private land, and may include studying economic benefits and ways to increase social support for such activities.
Primary direct beneficiaries are land‑grant universities and their extension programs, which will receive grant opportunities to research and demonstrate grazing techniques. Farmers, ranchers, and livestock owners in wildfire‑prone and recovery areas will receive practical guidance, training, and potentially new tools or practices to reduce fuels and aid post‑fire recovery. Landowners and land managers (including federal, state, Tribal, and private managers) may see broader adoption of managed grazing practices as part of landscape fire management strategies.
Public and ecological impacts include potential reductions in fine fuels and fire severity where grazing is applied appropriately, and improved recovery after fires when combined with other treatments. The law explicitly requires study of risks—such as invasive species spread, disease transmission between domestic and wild ungulates, soil erosion, and watershed impacts—so programs must plan to monitor and mitigate these harms. Extension and outreach components should help translate research into on‑the‑ground guidance, but outcomes depend on funding levels, local conditions, and coordination with wildfire agencies, conservation groups, and landowners. Agencies and universities will need to design trials that are scientifically rigorous, ecologically sensitive, and locally tailored.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress February 13, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate