Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the Agriculture and Interior Departments to create a strategy within 18 months of enactment for using livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risk on federal lands.
• Ranchers could be allowed to move livestock to vacant grazing allotments if their usual land is disrupted by drought, wildfire, or other disasters, with agencies required to try to prioritize low-conflict allotments and return permittees to their original land as soon as possible.
• The strategy must consider using targeted grazing to control cheatgrass and other invasive, fire-prone grasses, including temporary permits that could allow grazing outside normal limits specifically for fuel reduction.
• Agencies would coordinate with states, tribes, local governments, utility authorities, and firefighting agencies, and must consider using technologies like virtual fencing to direct livestock to specific high-risk areas.
• The bill explicitly states it does not change any existing grazing program or reduce the government's obligation to issue permits and leases under the Taylor Grazing Act, meaning current grazing rights are preserved.