"Once every 10 years, ranchers must renew the permits that allow their cattle, sheep and other livestock to graze on the West's public domain. These renewals are the government's best opportunity to address how those livestock are harming the environment. The Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service, which manage the majority of public lands, are required by law to review each permit before deciding whether to place additional conditions on it or - in rare cases - to deny its renewal."
"But in 2014, Congress mandated that the agencies automatically renew permits for another decade if they are unable to complete the reviews. This exemption has dramatically reduced scrutiny of grazing's impact on public lands. In 2013, the BLM approved grazing on 47% of its land open to livestock without an environmental review, a ProPublica and High Country News analysis of agency data showed."
Ranchers must renew grazing permits every ten years, and agencies are required by law to review each permit and can add conditions or deny renewal. A 2014 congressional mandate allows automatic ten-year renewals when reviews are not completed, greatly reducing environmental scrutiny. In 2013 the BLM approved grazing on 47% of land open to livestock without an environmental review; roughly 75% lacked review a decade later. Forest Service reviews have similarly declined. Rangeland management staff decreased 39% between 2020 and 2024, and about one in ten rangeland staff left the BLM between last November's election and June. Reduced monitoring enables unauthorized or excessive grazing and contributes to overgrazing and invasive plant spread.
Read at High Country News
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