The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing today to receive testimony on a range of bills related to public lands management. The legislation under discussion covers topics such as economic development, conservation, grazing policy, wildfire mitigation, mineral development, and land conveyances across several western states.
Among the bills considered were S. 462 concerning economic development in Washoe County, Nevada; S. 1349 regarding mineral leasing withdrawals in the Ruby Mountains; S. 1464 and S. 1497 addressing mineral development and wilderness designation in New Mexico; and several others dealing with grazing permits, hazardous fuels reduction reporting requirements, expedited appeals processes for Department of the Interior decisions, and land conveyances in California, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
Subcommittee Chairman Barrasso discussed his bill S. 2787—the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025—which aims to clarify regulations for ranchers seeking grazing permits on National Grasslands within the National Forest System.
“Livestock grazing on federal lands has a strong tradition in Wyoming and across the west. Federal grazing is a necessary tool for wildfire prevention and promoting rangeland health. It’s widely used by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management,” said Chairman Barrasso. “However, there is a lack of federal certainty and clarity on for obtaining the same on grasslands. My bill brings regulatory clarity for grazing permits from the US forest service. Ranchers across the west deserve to have certainty that their grazing permits will be approved in a timely manner.”
Ty Checketts—President of the Association of National Grasslands and a Wyoming rancher—testified in support of S. 2787 during the hearing.
“Ranchers are the original conservationists. Nobody loves the land more than we do. Every day we work to protect the land, to preserve it, to make it better, to make it more sustainable,” said Ty Checketts.“Grazing protects us against wildfires that destroy our local economies and cost millions of dollars each year.”
The subcommittee reviewed over twenty pieces of legislation during this session as part of ongoing efforts to address issues facing public lands management throughout western states.
