HB6300, titled the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025, would amend section 402(a) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to expand grazing lease and permit eligibility so that national grasslands are treated the same as other National Forest System lands. In practical terms, the bill is aimed at ensuring ranchers with grazing agreements on national grasslands receive the same treatment as permittees on other federal lands covered by the statute.
The bill also includes a savings clause stating that the amendment would not alter the application of other provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to national grasslands, nor would it affect title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act or section 11 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978. This suggests a narrow statutory change focused specifically on grazing eligibility and administration rather than a broader rewrite of federal rangeland law.
Impact
The bill would make a targeted amendment to federal public lands law by revising the language in FLPMA section 402(a) to include National Forest System lands, which would extend the same grazing lease and permit framework to national grasslands. The change would primarily affect ranchers, grazing permit holders, and federal land managers administering grazing on national grasslands, while expressly preserving other legal authorities governing those lands.
Sentiment
Available legislative history indicates generally favorable committee sentiment toward the bill, as reflected by its being ordered reported in the nature of a substitute by a 25-14 vote. That vote suggests majority support, but not unanimity, indicating the proposal was viewed positively by a substantial bloc while still drawing meaningful opposition.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether national grasslands should be brought under the same grazing treatment as other National Forest System lands for purposes of FLPMA section 402. Supporters likely view the bill as a fairness and parity measure for ranchers, while opponents may be concerned about changing the legal framework for grassland grazing or about the broader policy implications of federal land management. The savings clause may have been included to address concerns that the amendment could inadvertently affect other statutes or existing grazing authorities.
Protecting Agricultural Spaces Through Effective Ranching Strategies Act or the PASTURES ActThis bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior from imposing penalties on livestock owners for grazing on certain public lands. Under the bill, covered lands are National Forest System lands, lands administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or public lands (1) on which grazing is allowed by a permit or lease on or after the date of the bill's enactment and is then subsequently prohibited, and (2) that border private property.Specifically, the departments may not impose a penalty on an owner of livestock (including cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats) for grazing on covered lands that do not have a fence to prevent grazing.The bill specifies that USDA or Interior, depending on the covered land, is responsible for any expense related to the construction or maintenance of a fence for the prevention of grazing by livestock.