The Hidden Costs of Grazing on Public Lands

The Scale and Subsidies

Public lands in the U. S. are vast, covering an area more than twice the size of California. These lands are used for many things, including grazing livestock. The government allows ranchers to use these lands for a fee, but the fees are much lower than what ranchers would pay on private land. In fact, the government gives ranchers billions of dollars in subsidies every year. These subsidies help ranchers deal with things like droughts, floods, and predators.

The Beneficiaries

Most of the grazing on public lands is controlled by a small number of wealthy individuals and corporations. These ranchers not only benefit from low grazing fees but also get other financial perks, like property tax breaks and federal tax deductions. The Trump administration has been supportive of this system, increasing subsidies and loosening regulations. The administration has also appointed people with ties to the ranching industry to high-level positions.

Environmental Impact

The environmental impact of grazing on public lands is significant. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees 155 million acres of public lands open to grazing. Assessments have found that grazing has degraded at least 38 million acres, an area about half the size of New Mexico. The BLM has no record of land health assessments for an additional 35 million acres. Overgrazing has been observed in multiple states, with streambeds trampled by cattle, grasslands denuded by grazing, and creeks fouled by cow corpses.

The Debate

Ranchers argue that grazing has ecological benefits, such as preventing nearby private lands from being sold off and paved over. They also say that grazing helps maintain open spaces that wildlife depends on. However, regulators say that it’s difficult to significantly change the system because of the industry’s political influence. Politicians from both parties have written to the BLM and Forest Service about grazing issues more than 20 times since 2020.