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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum today announced a USDA proposed rule to update grazing permit issuance, eligibility and qualifications, and revise grazing fee provisions to ensure consistent fee-setting across national forests and grasslands in 16 contiguous Western states providing a more seamless practice for America’s ranchers.
The proposed rule aligns with the Administration’s USDA-DOI MOU on advancing grazing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands, and subsequent grazing policy issued by Secretary Rollins and Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Michael Boren.
The Forest Service allows livestock grazing on nearly 40% of the 193 million acres the agency manages.
Many of the proposed revisions are editorial, procedural, or intended to clarify existing requirements. Other changes align with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management regulations to better support grazing permittees who use lands managed by both agencies.
The USDA proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 12, 2026, opening a 30-day comment period.
Source: USDA
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