Grazing

In the Challis Field Office, permittees graze livestock on 64 allotments that encompass 751,480 acres of public land.  Grazing permittees purchase animal unit months (AUMs) of livestock forage. An AUM is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and calf, five sheep, two burros, or one horse for one month.

The Challis Field Office manages livestock grazing to achieve Idaho BLM’s Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Managing Livestock Grazing, which were established in 1997. These Standards and Guidelines provide basic ecological objectives and best management practices for administering livestock grazing on Idaho’s public lands.

The BLM conducts assessments of all grazing allotments to determine if the Standards for Rangeland Health are being achieved. If an assessment determines that an area is not meeting the standards for rangeland health, the field office analyzes opportunities to adjust grazing management and initiates changes, where needed, to improve rangeland health.

Most fences and gates on Idaho’s rangelands are vital tools for managing the distribution of livestock grazing.  Please help care for and share the rangelands by leaving gates either open or closed as you find them.

Challis Field Office  |  1151 Blue Mountain Road |  Challis, ID 83226
208-879-6200  |  Fax: 208-879-6219 |  Office hours: 7:45am - 4:30pm, M-F