The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) welcomed two federal lands actions announced this week by the Department of the Interior (DOI), including proposed updates to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing regulations and the rescission of the Biden-era Conservation and Landscape Health rule.

The proposed grazing rule would update how rangeland health is assessed, provide additional flexibility for grazing permittees to adjust management practices and recognize that land health outcomes are influenced by multiple uses and activities on federal lands. Separately, the Department of the Interior also announced plans to rescind the Conservation and Landscape Health rule finalized in 2024.

WyFB Executive Vice President Kerin Clark said both actions represent a return to the focus on multiple-use and sustained yield principles established by Congress for the management of federal lands.

“We applaud the actions by the Department of Interior to return the Bureau of Land Management’s grazing program regulations to Congress’ intent of multiple-use and sustained yield of the resources,” Clark said. “Grazing is an important component of multiple-use and management of public lands.” 

DOI’s proposed changes recognize the need for flexibility for permittees to work with BLM staff. “As we’ve seen with the weather so far this year, mother nature doesn’t strictly follow the calendar,” Clark stated. “Flexibility for permittees to work with BLM staff to determine when to graze, regardless of the calendar, is ensuring proper stewardship of the federal land resources.”

Clark said the proposed grazing rule acknowledges that land health is influenced by a variety of factors beyond livestock grazing alone.

“We welcome the rules noting that rangeland health should address all factors related to the resource,” Clark said. “For decades, grazing permittees have carried the burden without consideration for the impacts of non-grazing factors including recreation, energy, feral horses and wildlife uses.”

Clark also noted the importance of updating grazing regulations to support active stewardship of federal lands.

“Returning the grazing regulations back to original congressional intent will benefit the land as a whole,” Clark said. “Ranchers are stewards of the land and resources they utilize to raise livestock and contribute to the nation’s food supply.”

Regarding the rescission of the Conservation and Landscape Health rule, Clark said WyFB has opposed the rule since it was introduced in 2024.

“We are pleased with the Bureau of Land Management’s announcement today to rescind the Conservation and Landscape Health rule,” Clark said. “Our organization requested a withdrawal of the rule when it was issued in May 2024 seeing it as detrimental to public land management. WyFB, along with the Natrona County Farm & Ranch Bureau, joined a lawsuit in 2024 seeking to overturn the rule.”

Clark said the organization viewed the rule as conflicting with the multiple-use mandate established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).

“This rule would have made ‘non-use,’ also described as conservation, as a use on BLM land,” Clark said. “This would have been in contradiction to the multiple-use mandate given to the BLM by Congress through FLPMA. Multiple-use management provides for public lands to be utilized and stewarded through use.”

“Grazing permittees contribute to the overall stewardship of the lands through stimulating plant growth, supporting wildlife, fire mitigation and improving the health of rangelands,” Clark said.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots organization dedicated to strengthening Wyoming agriculture and enhancing Wyoming communities. For more than 100 years, WyFB has advocated for farmers and ranchers through grassroots policy working to strengthen agriculture and support farm and ranch families across the state. Learn more at www.wyfb.org.