PASTURES Act

This bill seeks to limit the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to penalize livestock owners for grazing on specific federal lands. Penalties are prohibited if grazing was previously permitted on these lands and subsequently banned, provided no fence exists to prevent livestock from entering. The legislation defines "covered lands" as National Forest System lands, lands administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or other public lands that border private property and had a grazing permit or lease on or after the bill's enactment date, which was later prohibited. Crucially, the bill mandates that the Secretary concerned is responsible for all expenses related to the construction and maintenance of any fences built on these covered lands to prevent grazing. This measure aims to protect owners of livestock , including cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats, from penalties when their animals access areas that were once open for grazing but are now closed, without a physical barrier in place. It shifts the financial burden of fencing to the federal government in such specific circumstances.