The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced the grazing fees for 2023 will remain the same at $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) on federal lands.
This marks the fifth year rates have not changed on the nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and 6,250 permits administered by USFS. The established grazing fee is determined by congressional mandates based on three factors: current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices and the cost of livestock production.
Josh Osher, public policy director for Western Watersheds Project (WWP), called the lack of an increase a “massive federal handout for the livestock industry and billionaire ranchers while completely ignoring the significant contributions of livestock grazing to both the climate and biodiversity crises.”
