Voluntary grazing retirement bill reintroduced

WLJ Nov. 07, 2025 1 minute read 4 comments

Voluntary grazing retirement bill reintroduced — Pictured here, cattle grazing on rangeland near Jordan Valley, OR.
USDA/Kirsten Strough

In mid-October, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-09) reintroduced the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act to expand voluntary federal grazing permit retirement across the West.

“This bill gives ranchers and conservation partners a fair, voluntary path to resolve long-standing conflicts and restore fragile ecosystems,” Smith said.

The legislation would authorize ranchers in 16 western states to voluntarily waive their permits or leases with the intent to permanently end grazing on an allotment. In return, ranchers would receive “equitable compensation from private parties.” The bill would cap the number of retirements at 100 per year, or 25 per state.

The bill is endorsed by a wide array of environmental groups. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council have previously shared their opposition to the legislation.

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4 Comments

Mike Robie
November 11, 2025
Trump will shoot this down in flames.
Reply to Mike Robie
Betty
November 11, 2025
And what will happen to the American food supply? At the height of beef prices and the lowest number of cattle we don't need to encourage any further reduction!
Reply to Betty
Barbara Leininger
November 12, 2025
This removes a marketable private property right, and leaves grazing land vulnerable to over growth, especially of forbs , which leads to degradation of grazing land and destructive wildfires. This is a really bad idea that erodes private property rights.
Reply to Barbara Leininger
Paul Bottari
November 17, 2025
Legislation that is based off bad science! Some folks have their head in the sand and can't, or don't want to , see the truth. There are many benefits to grazing and the facts are out there if they would only see them. The recent University of Idaho study shows that cattle grazing and sage grouse are compatible and complementary to each other. Any of us that have been on the ground for years know the best place to go sage grouse hunting is on those riparian areas the cows have grazed down and put cow pies on. The hens are eating the short green grass and the chicks the bugs under the cow pies. Never the less these riparian areas have been fenced to keep cattle out and took away alot of good sage grouse habitat. In the meantime the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout populations the fencing was meant to help haven't increase in measurable numbers. Keep the cows off and the excess forage will eventually burn and that isn't generally good for the neighboring ranches. In the meantime our low inventories of cattle help keep prices high in the grocery stores. I guess if the consumer keeps buying it all is not so bad.
Reply to Paul Bottari