Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Senator Cortez Masto, requires the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to create a plan to use cattle and sheep to reduce wildfire risks. The goal is to have livestock eat dry grass and brush that often act as fuel for large, dangerous fires.
• The plan would focus on targeted grazing, which means putting animals in specific areas where fire risk is highest, such as near neighborhoods or in areas overgrown with invasive weeds like cheatgrass. It also suggests using new technology like virtual fencing to move animals around without building physical fences.
• The government would work with local ranchers, Tribes, and fire departments to decide where grazing is most needed. This includes using empty grazing areas during droughts or after a fire has already happened to help the land recover safely.
• The agencies have 18 months to finish this strategy. It is designed to help protect communities from wildfires while also supporting the local ranching economy by making more federal land available for grazing in a controlled way.

Impact Analysis

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