HR1110-119

What This Bill Does

The Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act directs the Agriculture Secretary, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and coordinating with livestock grazing permit holders on federal land, to develop and implement a strategy to use grazing for wildfire risk reduction. The strategy must increase opportunities for permitted grazing on vacant allotments during droughts, wildfires, or other natural disasters that disrupt already permitted allotments, including completing required NEPA reviews. It also must use targeted grazing, increase temporary permits for targeted fuels reduction and invasive annual grass reduction, use grazing as a postfire recovery and restoration strategy where appropriate, and use all applicable authorities to expand grazing as a wildfire-risk-reduction tool.

Who Benefits and How

Federal grazing permit holders benefit because the Forest Service must coordinate with them and expand opportunities for grazing tied to wildfire risk reduction. Ranchers using federal allotments benefit from temporary permits and access to vacant allotments after drought, wildfire, or other disasters. Communities near fire-prone forests benefit if targeted grazing reduces fuels and invasive annual grasses. The Forest Service benefits from a statutory strategy using grazing as one tool for fuels management and postfire restoration. Livestock operators benefit from new grazing opportunities tied to public-land management needs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Agriculture Secretary and Forest Service must develop and implement the grazing strategy, coordinate with permit holders, complete NEPA reviews, and use available authorities. Environmental reviewers must evaluate grazing on vacant allotments and postfire or targeted grazing actions. Conservation advocates may face expanded grazing on federal lands. Forest Service district staff must manage temporary permits, vacant allotments, fuels-reduction objectives, and postfire restoration decisions. Existing permit holders may need to coordinate movements after disasters.

Key Provisions

• Directs Agriculture and the Forest Service to develop and implement a wildfire-risk-reduction grazing strategy.
• Requires coordination with federal livestock grazing permit holders.
• Requires NEPA reviews for permitted grazing on vacant allotments after drought, wildfire, or other disasters.
• Provides for targeted grazing to reduce fuels.
• Expands temporary permits for fuels reduction and invasive annual grass reduction.
• Provides for grazing as a postfire recovery and restoration strategy where appropriate.
• Directs use of all applicable authorities to increase grazing opportunities.