BLM rewrites grazing rules for first time since 1995

The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 12, gives ranchers, Tribes and conservation groups until July 13 to weigh in on a Bureau of Land Management proposal that would rewrite grazing rules for the first time since 1995 and reshape how the public can challenge decisions on 155 million acres of federal land. The rule would revise Grazing Administration, create a new part on land health management and update administrative appeals procedures at the Office of Hearings and Appeals.

BLM manages livestock grazing on 155 million acres of public lands and administers nearly 18,000 permits and leases, mostly for cattle and sheep. The overhaul would give ranchers more flexibility, simplify processes, broaden rangeland health standards beyond grazing alone to cover all BLM programs, and support rural communities and local economies. A 2006 revision was blocked in court.

Critics say the proposal narrows who can participate in grazing permit decisions and may limit those decisions to people with a direct business interest, pushing out Tribes, conservation groups and other public land users who have long argued over how BLM land should be managed. Nada Culver, a former BLM deputy director, said, “The most text in this regulatory proposal is devoted to explaining why the public no longer gets to participate in pretty much every step of the process.”

Tribal concerns are especially sharp because the proposal could affect non-commercial grazing, including Tribal bison herds kept for cultural reasons. Tribes with bison herds are seeking negotiations with Interior officials for an exemption, and Tribal leaders argue the new framework would favor production-oriented livestock over bison restoration programs that carry cultural and ecological weight. A 2023 Interior order under then-Secretary Deb Haaland directs federal agencies to prioritize Tribally led opportunities to establish large bison herds and advance shared stewardship on federal land.

Interior rescinded the BLM’s 2024 Public Lands Rule in early June, prioritizing multiple use, local decision-making and grazing, energy, timber and recreation. Karen Budd-Falen, Interior’s associate deputy secretary, received an ethics waiver on March 11 to work on grazing matters despite family ranching interests.