BLM and Forest Service Grazing Fees Lowered in 2019

February 20, 2019

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the USDA Forest Service have announced a reduction in the federal grazing fee for 2019. The fee will decrease to $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM) forpublic landsmanaged by theBLMand $1.35 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the Forest Service. This marks a reduction from the 2018 fee of $1.41 per AUM.

Understanding AUM and HM

An AUM or HM is defined as the use ofpublic landsby one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. The new fee, calculated using a congressional formula, will take effect on March 1, 2019. It applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by theBLMand nearly 6,500 permits managed by the Forest Service.

Calculation of the Grazing Fee

The formula for determining the grazing fee was established byCongressin the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act and has been maintained under a 1986 presidential Executive Order. According to this order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM/HM, and any annual increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year's level.

The fee is calculated using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM/HM for livestock grazing onpublic landsin Western states. It is adjusted based on three factors: current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. Consequently, the fee fluctuates in response to market conditions.

Commitment to Ranching Community

Brian Steed,BLMDeputy Director for Programs and Policy, stated, "TheBLMand Forest Service are committed to strong relationships with the ranching community and work closely with permittees to ensure public rangelands remain healthy, productive working landscapes." He added that fifty percent of the collected grazing fees deposited into the U.S. Treasury are returned to the Range Betterment Fund for on-the-ground range improvement projects. Portions of the collected fees are also returned to the states for use in the counties where the fees were generated.

States Affected by the Grazing Fee

The grazing fee applies in 16 Western states onpublic landsadministered by theBLMand the Forest Service. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Permit holders and lessees may contact their localBLMor Forest Service office for additional information.

Originally posted by the Bureau of Land Management