This bill establishes a program for the voluntary retirement of Federal grazing permits across 16 Western States, aiming to resolve land and resource management conflicts and provide flexibility for permittees. It expands upon successful past uses of voluntary retirement on lands managed by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. Under the program, the Secretary must accept , on a first-come, first-served basis, any grazing permit or lease voluntarily waived by a permittee with the intention of permanently ending livestock grazing on that allotment. Upon acceptance, the permit is immediately terminated, and no new grazing permits or leases will be issued for that area, ensuring a permanent cessation of commercial livestock grazing. If a waived allotment is shared, the Secretary must reduce the authorized grazing level to reflect the waiver. The bill sets annual limits on accepted waivers: a maximum of 100 permits in total across all 16 Western States and 25 permits for any single State . These limits do not apply to allotments already administratively retired, which will also remain free from new grazing permits. A permittee waiving a permit also waives claims to range developments on the land, and the Secretary must secure retired allotments against trespass grazing. The bill clarifies it does not affect the Secretary's existing authority to modify permits or impact existing valid rights, such as water rights.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Agriculture and Food
Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act of 2025
USA119th CongressHR-5785| House
| Updated: 10/17/2025
This bill establishes a program for the voluntary retirement of Federal grazing permits across 16 Western States, aiming to resolve land and resource management conflicts and provide flexibility for permittees. It expands upon successful past uses of voluntary retirement on lands managed by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. Under the program, the Secretary must accept , on a first-come, first-served basis, any grazing permit or lease voluntarily waived by a permittee with the intention of permanently ending livestock grazing on that allotment. Upon acceptance, the permit is immediately terminated, and no new grazing permits or leases will be issued for that area, ensuring a permanent cessation of commercial livestock grazing. If a waived allotment is shared, the Secretary must reduce the authorized grazing level to reflect the waiver. The bill sets annual limits on accepted waivers: a maximum of 100 permits in total across all 16 Western States and 25 permits for any single State . These limits do not apply to allotments already administratively retired, which will also remain free from new grazing permits. A permittee waiving a permit also waives claims to range developments on the land, and the Secretary must secure retired allotments against trespass grazing. The bill clarifies it does not affect the Secretary's existing authority to modify permits or impact existing valid rights, such as water rights.