USDA Issues Directive to Restore Grazing on National Forest Lands and Strengthen Support for America’s Ranchers

Washington, D.C. - June 12, 2026 - Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the distribution of a comprehensive directive to all U.S. Forest Service employees from the Office of the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). These actions advance implementation of the Advancing Grazing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the USDA-Department of the Interior Grazing Action Plan, delivering on the Trump Administration's commitment to strengthen American ranching, restore multiple-use management on federal lands, and combat regulatory lawfare against producers.

"America's ranchers are an integral component of our rural economies, our food security, and our national strength," said Secretary Rollins. "For too long, bureaucratic overreach and activist-driven lawfare have undermined the multiple-use mandate of our National Forests and Grasslands. Today, we are empowering line officers with clear direction and reaffirming grazing as an essential tool for healthy landscapes and vibrant rural communities."

The letter to Forest Service employees, addressed from Secretary Rollins and referencing the detailed implementation directives from Under Secretary Michael Boren, emphasizes the historic role of grazing on National Forest System lands. These actions build directly on the October 2025 USDA Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry and the March 31, 2026, MOU (PDF, 1.1 MB) signed with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.

Key Elements of the Directives:

• Expanding access to prioritize permitting vacant and closed allotments
• Maximizing grazing flexibilities to keep working lands working
• Eliminating delays by streamlining permitting and allotment authorizations
• Elevating rural Americans by giving ranchers a better voice
• Improving service by setting expectations for positive engagement with ranchers.

By elevating grazing as an Administration priority, USDA is protecting the roughly 23,000 permittees and lessees who rely on public rangelands while delivering more affordable, American-raised protein to consumers.

###