Grazing Plan Helps Cattlemen  04/06 16:53

   Federal Grazing Action Plan Aims to Boost Beef Supply, Ease Burdens on 
Public Lands Ranchers

   U.S. Agriculture and Interior secretaries signed a Grazing Action Plan MOU 
to expand cattle grazing access on public lands and reduce federal permitting 
burdens. The plan also aims to strengthen the beef industry and grow the 
domestic herd.

Jennifer Carrico
DTN Senior Livestock Editor

   NEVADA, Iowa (DTN) -- Leaders from several government agencies and 
organizations joined together to discuss working together for improving cattle 
grazing opportunities, as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and 
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to 
launch the Grazing Action Plan.

   "The MOU was signed to help open additional grazing lands and make it easier 
for young producers to access grass," National Cattlemen's Beef Association 
(NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane told cattle 
producers during a meeting in Nevada, Iowa, last week. "This is a longer-term 
play to help open grazing lands and give producers a chance to expand their 
herds."

   PLAN AIMS TO OPEN LAND

   The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management cooperated to give 
producers access to this grazing land. The plan focuses on allowing ranchers 
access to vacant allotments and targets grazing to prevent wildfires, as well 
as establishes a rancher liaison program for wildfire incident command centers.

   "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," said Public Lands Council (PLC) President and 
Colorado grazing permittee Tim Canterbury in an NCBA news release. "This MOU 
will make it easier to ranch on public lands and will help improve the health 
of western landscapes. 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. PLC appreciates USDA and the 
Interior Department standing with livestock producers in the West and putting 
this MOU and grazing plan into action."

   STREAMLINING PERMITS AND CUTTING RED TAPE

   The plan will help streamline the permitting process, expand grazing access, 
optimize targeted grazing areas that are more vulnerable to wildfires, and cut 
bureaucracy.

   The original plan, released in October 2025, was done to strengthen the beef 
industry and give producers a chance to grow their herd, since so little grass 
land is available. Under this plan, the three parts include protecting and 
improving the business of ranching; expanding processing, consumer transparency 
and market access; and building demand alongside domestic supply.

   Protecting and improving the business of ranching is to be done by 
strengthening the foundation of U.S. cattle production through endangered 
species reforms, enhanced disaster relief, increased grazing access, increased 
access to capital, and affordable risk management tools.

   Expanding processing, consumer transparency, and market access would be done 
by lowering long-term costs, increasing marketing options, and ensuring 
consumers have clear, truthful information about American beef.

   And finally, the plan outlines building demand alongside domestic supply by 
growing the domestic herd while boosting domestic and international demand so 
that ranchers are not trapped in the boom/bust cycle that has defined past 
cattle markets.

   "The Grazing Action Plan is built on a collaborative partnership dedicated 
to strengthening ranching operations while safeguarding our public lands," 
Burgum said in a USDA news release.

   "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," Burgum continued. "In coordination with the Department of 
Agriculture, the Trump administration is advancing actions designed to support 
farmers and ranchers -- securing a more resilient future for grazing on public 
lands and protecting America's ranching heritage for generations to come."

   PROMISES EFFICIENCY, TRANSPARENCY

   The MOU helps streamline the permitting and processing and encourages 
agencies to use existing authorities to help cut red tape and improve 
efficiency. It will also enhance transparency and data access by making grazing 
allotment information more accessible and predictable, giving producers greater 
certainty to plan and invest.

   These officials stressed that the agreement would support not just 
producers, but also American families by strengthening the domestic food supply 
chain, making it more efficient.

   CRP ACRES REMAIN MISSING PIECE

   Lane said his only other hope was that Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 
acres would have been included in the plan. NCBA expects discussion on easing 
CRP grazing to be a main topic at its summer business meeting in July. 
"Discussion on the CRP policy NCBA has started with the states, and I think the 
time is right to see how we can work on this," he added. "Everyone has to agree 
to get the program changed."

   Producers should check with their county USDA service center to determine 
their current grazing opportunities.

   Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

   Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal




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