Livestock Grazing on Public Lands

The BLM manages livestock grazing on 155 million acres of public lands. The terms and conditions for grazing on BLM-managed lands (such as stipulations on forage use and season of use) are set forth in the permits and leases that we issue to public land ranchers. 

The BLM administers nearly 18,000 permits and leases held by ranchers who graze their livestock, mostly cattle and sheep, at least part of the year on more than 21,000 allotments. Permits and leases generally cover a 10-year period and are renewable if the BLM determines that the terms and conditions of the expiring permit or lease are being met. The amount of grazing that takes place each year on BLM-managed public lands can be affected by such factors as drought, wildfire, and market conditions.

Permits and Allotments

Any U.S. citizen or validly licensed business can apply for a BLM grazing permit or lease. To do so, one must either:

• Buy or control private property known as base property (property that has been legally recognized by the BLM as having preference for the use of public land grazing privileges), or
• Acquire property that has the capability to serve as base property and then apply to the BLM to transfer the preference for grazing privileges from an existing base property to the acquired property (this would become the new base property).

Before buying or leasing ranch property, you should contact the local BLM field office.  

The BLM has information on the status of the grazing privileges attached to the base property, including the terms and conditions of the associated grazing permit or lease that authorizes the use of those privileges and other important information, much of which can be found in the public Rangeland Administration System Reports. All applicants for grazing permits or leases must meet the qualifications for public land grazing privileges that are specified in the BLM grazing regulations. 

A map tool has also been developed to display potential grazing opportunities on the BLM and other public lands. 

Outcome-Based Grazing Authorizations

In September 2017, the BLM’s Division of Rangeland Resources announced an initiative known as Outcome-Based Grazing Authorizations (OBGAs) and selected 11 demonstration projects in six states in March 2018. The goal of Outcome-Based Grazing is to provide rangeland managers with the flexibility to change their grazing plan in ways that will help adapt to challenges that arise in their particular landscape in any given season. Updated guidance was shared in 2025 that expands upon the idea of Flexibility in Livestock Grazing Management. 

For a full summary of accomplishments and lessons learned through this initiative, please visit our partner page: Intermountain West Joint Venture: Outcome-Based Grazing. 

Fees and Distribution

The BLM grazing program supports $2.9 billion in total economic output annually while supporting 36,200 jobs and $557.3 million in total labor income.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the BLM was allocated $106.3 million for its rangeland management program with about 43 percent of that figure spent on livestock grazing administration.  The other funds covered such activities as weed management, soil management, rangeland monitoring, planning, water development, vegetation restoration, and habitat improvement. The BLM collects roughly $13 million in grazing fees.  The receipts from these annual fees, in accordance with legislative requirements, are shared with state and local governments.

The federal grazing fee is adjusted annually and is calculated by using a formula originally set by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978.  Under this formula, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM); also, any fee increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level.  An AUM is the amount of forage needed to sustain one cow and calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. The grazing fee for 2026 is $1.69 per AUM, as compared to the 2025 fee of $1.35 per AUM. 

The grazing fee applies to federal public lands in 16 Western states managed by the BLM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

Range Improvements

There are two kinds of range improvements: nonstructural and structural.  Seedings or prescribed burns are examples of nonstructural range improvements.  Fences or facilities, such as wells or water pipelines, are considered of structural improvements.  

Many structural improvements are considered permanent, as they are not easily removed from the land.  Such improvements enhance livestock grazing management, improve watershed conditions, enhance wildlife habitat, or serve similar purposes.