Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of Wildfire Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1981 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1981

   To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior to utilize grazing for wildfire risk reduction, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2025

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior to utilize grazing for wildfire risk reduction, and for other
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of
Wildfire Act''.

SEC. 2. UTILIZING GRAZING FOR WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest
        System'' has the meaning given the term in section 11(a) of the
        Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974
        (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
            (2) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the
        meaning given the term in section 103 of the Federal Land
        Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).
            (3) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
        means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to
                National Forest System land; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to
                public lands.
    (b) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in coordination
        with holders of permits to graze livestock on Federal land
        under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned and in
        consultation with other relevant stakeholders described in
        paragraph (3), shall develop a strategy to utilize livestock
        grazing as a wildfire risk reduction tool consistent with the
        laws applicable to the Secretary concerned.
            (2) Considerations.--The strategy developed under paragraph
        (1) shall consider--
                    (A) the use of grazing on vacant grazing allotments
                during instances of drought, wildfire, or other natural
                disasters that disrupt grazing on allotments already
                permitted;
                    (B) the use of targeted grazing to reduce hazardous
                fuels, including on Federal land within the wildland
                urban interface (as defined in section 101 of the
                Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C.
                6511)), and other critical areas identified by the
                Secretaries concerned;
                    (C) recommending the use of targeted grazing when
                providing technical assistance to communities and
                Indian Tribes in their efforts to reduce wildfire risk
                and implement wildfire management strategies;
                    (D) the use of temporary permits to promote
                targeted fuels reduction and reduction of cheatgrass
                and other invasive annual grasses, including any
                potential need for the use of grazing outside permitted
                animal unit months and season of use, as appropriate
                for the explicit purposes of targeted fuels reduction
                of cheatgrass and other invasive annual grasses;
                    (E) the use of targeted grazing to aid in
                controlling invasive annual grasses, including
                cheatgrass;
                    (F) the use of targeted grazing in postfire
                recovery efforts, as appropriate;
                    (G) an integrated use of advanced technologies such
                as virtual fencing to dynamically adjust livestock
                placement;
                    (H) the use of grazing on Federal land in a manner
                that--
                            (i) avoids conflicts with other uses of
                        that Federal land; and
                            (ii) is consistent with any applicable land
                        management plan;
                    (I) a workforce development plan to ensure that
                Federal workers have the necessary skills to manage
                livestock grazing programs and deploy technologies;
                    (J) the use of cooperative agreements with States,
                local governments, Indian Tribes, and local
                firefighting agencies to reduce hazardous fuels and
                invasive annual grasses, including reimbursements
                authorized under other provisions of law, including
                under good neighbor agreements under section 8206 of
                the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); and
                    (K) other applicable statutory or regulatory
                authorities, as determined by the Secretary concerned.
            (3) Consultation.--In developing the strategy under
        paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall consult with--
                    (A) applicable States;
                    (B) applicable units of local government;
                    (C) applicable Indian Tribes;
                    (D) applicable utility authorities;
                    (E) applicable firefighting agencies;
                    (F) land management organizations;
                    (G) outdoor recreation, conservation, and sportsmen
                organizations; and
                    (H) other interested members of the applicable
                community.
    (c) Effect on Existing Grazing Programs.--Nothing in this section
affects any livestock grazing program being carried out as of the date
of enactment of this Act by the Secretary concerned.
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