WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — Western cattle and sheep producers could see more flexibility in public lands grazing policy after the Trump administration moved to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule and propose updates to federal grazing regulations.
The Public Lands Council (PLC) says the action restores BLM’s multiple-use focus and removes a conservation rule it argued could limit grazing access. The Interior Department previously said rescinding the rule would prioritize multiple-use access, local decision-making, energy development, ranching, grazing, timber, and recreation.
The grazing proposal is aimed at regulations, PLC says, that have not kept pace with 35 years of science, range management, and adaptive grazing practices. Ranchers argue that local BLM staff and permittees need more room to respond to weather, water, and forage conditions, as well as permit conditions.
The policy remains controversial. Conservation groups say the 2024 rule helped put conservation alongside grazing, recreation, and development under BLM’s broader land-management responsibilities.
For permittees, the practical question is whether updated rules improve day-to-day range management and reduce wildfire risk.
Farmers are continuing to navigate tighter margins, market uncertainty, and elevated input costs, with those pressures now creating ripple effects across the farmland market as well.
Accredited farm manager Chad Hertz with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) joined us on Wednesday’s Market Day Report to discuss the latest trends in farmland real estate markets developing across the farm economy.
In his interview with RFD News, Hertz discussed current conditions in the farmland market and whether values are holding steady despite broader economic pressures, highlighting how higher fertilizer costs, equipment decisions, rental negotiations, and operating lines are contributing to what his team recently described as an “uncomfortable” farm economy.
Hertz also spoke about key lease considerations for retiring farmers looking to rent out land while maintaining strong tenant relationships, and outlined who is currently purchasing farmland and how local operators are competing in today’s environment.
Finally, Hertz discussed the growing influence of solar and wind development projects and whether they are broadly affecting farmland values or only select regions.
