by USDA

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on March 31 announced new actions to boost the supply of American born, raised and harvested beef by supporting American ranchers with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to strengthen coordination; cut bureaucratic red tape; and deliver immediate, tangible support for America’s farmers and ranchers who rely on public lands. Building on the USDA’s recently released Grazing Action Plan, the agreement formalizes collaboration between the USDA Forest Service (FS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to ensure more efficient, transparent and responsive grazing management across federal lands.

“Our public lands are there for the people, and this action demonstrates the commitment at USDA and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to improve our services so farmers and ranchers who use public lands can run more efficient operations,” said Rollins.

“The Grazing Action Plan is built on a collaborative partnership dedicated to strengthening ranching operations while safeguarding our public lands,” said Burgum. “By working closely with American ranchers, we are enhancing communication, investing in innovation and modernizing our approach to land management practices to deliver real results for the people who feed and sustain this country.”

The MOU recognizes permittees as essential partners and directs federal agencies to engage directly with those who live and work on the land. Key actions under the agreement:

• Cutting red tape and improving efficiency: The MOU streamlines permitting and processes and encourages agencies to use existing authorities more effectively, reducing delays for grazing permits, infrastructure improvements and emergency response actions.
• Strengthening rancher partnerships: Agencies will expand collaboration with permittees through structured engagement, including learning roundtables and enhanced communication channels.
• Ranch immersion programs for federal employees. New initiatives will place agency staff on working ranches to build firsthand understanding of operational challenges and realities on the ground.
• Enhancing transparency and data access. Improved data systems will make grazing allotment information more accessible and predictable, giving producers greater certainty to plan and invest.
• Expanding practical land management tools. The agreement promotes targeted grazing to reduce wildfire risk, supports reopening vacant allotments and encourages adoption of innovative technologies such as virtual fencing.
• Wildfire coordination and response. The creation of Grazing Permittee Wildfire Liaisons will ensure ranchers have clear points of contact and a voice during wildfire response and recovery efforts.
• Maintaining grazing capacity. The MOU affirms a goal of maintaining grazing capacity wherever possible, including no net loss of animal unit months (AUMs) within allotments, consistent with applicable law.