FORT WORTH, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking new steps to expand grazing opportunities on federal lands, issuing guidance to the U.S. Forest Service to reduce regulatory barriers and increase access for America’s ranchers.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the distribution of a comprehensive memorandum from the Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment on Friday in Fort Worth, at the Rural Town Hall presented by the Western Caucus Foundation and RFD-TV, calling on Forest Service officials to prioritize grazing access and improve engagement with livestock producers.
The action advances implementation of the USDA–Department of the Interior Grazing Action Plan and a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between Secretary Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
According to the USDA, the guidance is designed to restore multiple-use management on federal lands while supporting ranchers who rely on public grazing allotments.
Key provisions of the memorandum include prioritizing permits for vacant and closed allotments, maximizing existing grazing flexibilities, streamlining permit and allotment authorizations, improving communication with permittees, and ensuring ranchers have a stronger voice in federal land management decisions.
USDA says roughly 23,000 permittees and lessees depend on public rangelands across the country, making grazing access a critical component of many livestock operations.
The department says the effort builds on its October 2025 Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry and reflects the Trump Administration’s broader push to strengthen domestic livestock production.
Rollins said the department is focused not only on issuing policy directives from Washington, but also ensuring those changes are carried out at the local level. USDA officials say field offices are being directed to process permits more efficiently, reopen unused allotments where possible, and work directly with producers to remove unnecessary obstacles to grazing on federal lands.
The agency says the goal is to keep working lands productive, support rural economies, and help ensure a reliable supply of American-raised beef and other livestock products.
