Permittee Comments Needed on BLM Grazing Regulations Revision

The ICA is strongly encouraging all grazing permittees to participate in and comment on the BLM’s process to amend its grazing regulations. Proposed revisions are intended to update, modernize, and streamline the grazing regulations and provide greater flexibility for land and resource management, a much-needed goal that ICA has been focused on for years.

The current regulations, known as Range Reform, were put into place in 1995 and have done much to disintegrate the ability to graze on BLM lands while preventing proactive land management.

The ICA is predicting strong opposition and likely litigation from anti-grazing activist groups. This underscores the tremendous need for grazing permittees to engage in the process and provide the BLM with adequate justification for change.

Commenting points are listed below, which include ICA’s top priorities for the revision process, though ICA will also seek many additional changes in written comments. Please feel free to copy them or use them to formulate your own comments.

Written comments are due Monday, July 13, 2026.

The link to submit a comment directly on the Federal website can be found HERE

The proposed rule and more detailed information about the proposal can be found HERE

For a copy of ICA’s full comments, email karen@idahocattle.org.

Commenting Points Provided by ICA: BLM Grazing Regulations Revision

In preparing your comments, ICA recommends that you provide specific examples related to your permit, problems you have encountered, and detailed suggestions for improved language. The more specific your comments, the greater their impact.

Primary Point: I support the effort to revise the BLM grazing regulations.

I have a BLM grazing permit and have a direct stake in this process. My ability to pursue my livelihood, remain economically viable, and sustainably manage the range is greatly impacted by the BLM’s grazing regulations and I see great need for change and improvement to the current regulations.

Need for Flexibility

The grazing regulations should allow for greater flexibility in grazing permits, both in AUM numbers and seasons of use, to enable more nimble management based on seasonal conditions, fuels build up, and forage availability.

Grazing Permit Renewals

Processing of grazing permit renewals has become too complicated, causing a backlog and straining the agency’s limited budget. The regulations should be revised to state that if permitted use is not changed by more than 10%, that renewal is a categorical exclusion.

Interested Public

I support the addition of language that requires that an individual, group or organization must have an interest in the management of livestock grazing. Every member of the public should not have the ability to appeal every action implementing an allotment management plan or other grazing management prescriptions.

4120.3 Range Improvements

Once an allotment management plan is approved, range improvement projects that are implementing that plan should not be considered new decisions and should not be subject to administrative appeals or require further NEPA analysis. The proposal should be in line with the new direction that range improvements can be implemented through a categorical exclusion.

4130.4 Authorization of Temporary Changes

I appreciate the additional language that has been added to the section to provide for greater flexibility in authorizing grazing based on annual variability.

4130.6-2 - Temporary Non-Renewable Permits

BLM does not currently have a sufficient mechanism in place to enable the agency to act in a timely manner to manage high fuel loads. Particularly in areas with repeated fire history, BLM needs the flexibility to adaptively manage the fuel loads through grazing. I request the addition of language that states that “BLM may issue decisions authorizing nonrenewable grazing permits in full force and effect under subpart 4160.”

4180 – Fundamentals of Rangeland Health

I support the proposal to move 4180 out of the grazing regulations. We agree that standards and guidelines should be incorporated at the land use planning level, as it already is provided for in FLPMA and it should be applied to all land uses, not just grazing.

1700.3. Rapid landscape-scale condition assessment

I am concerned about the implementation of landscape-scale assessments. With this approach, a permittee could be punished, or their permit changed, due to conditions on a neighboring permit. Decisions at the permit level must be based on current, site-specific trend monitoring.