The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining convened to hear testimony on a range of bills concerning public lands management, grazing policy, wildfire mitigation, mineral development, and conservation in the western United States.
The hearing addressed more than 20 pieces of legislation. These included proposals for economic development and conservation in Washoe County, Nevada; withdrawal of certain lands from mineral leasing in Nevada and New Mexico; use of grazing for wildfire risk reduction; recognition of Alaska Native communities; land conveyances in Colorado and Utah; restrictions on offshore oil and gas activities off the southeastern coast; modernization of Forest Service authority; expedited review processes at the Department of the Interior; hazardous fuels reduction reporting requirements; and amendments to existing laws regarding hardrock minerals.
Subcommittee Chairman Barrasso spoke about his bill, S. 2787, known as the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025. The legislation aims to provide clearer regulations for ranchers seeking grazing permits on National Grasslands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
“Livestock grazing on federal lands has a strong tradition in Wyoming and across the west. Federal grazing is a necessary tool for wildfire prevention and promoting rangeland health. It’s widely used by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management,” said Chairman Barrasso. “However, there is a lack of federal certainty and clarity on for obtaining the same on grasslands. My bill brings regulatory clarity for grazing permits from the US forest service. Ranchers across the west deserve to have certainty that their grazing permits will be approved in a timely manner.”
Ty Checketts, President of the Association of National Grasslands and a Wyoming rancher, testified in support of S. 2787 during the hearing. He discussed how ranchers contribute positively to land stewardship.
“Ranchers are the original conservationists. Nobody loves the land more than we do. Every day we work to protect the land, to preserve it, to make it better, to make it more sustainable,” said Ty Checketts. “Grazing protects us against wildfires that destroy our local economies and cost millions of dollars each year.”
