119-s1981

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1981 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1981

 To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
Interior to utilize grazing for wildfire risk reduction, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 June 5, 2025

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
Interior to utilize grazing for wildfire risk reduction, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Strategic Grazing to Reduce Risk of 
Wildfire Act''.

SEC. 2. UTILIZING GRAZING FOR WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest 
 System'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 11

    (a) of the 
 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 
 (16 U.S.C. 1609

    (a) ).

    (2) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the 
 meaning given the term in 

section 103 of the Federal Land 
 Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).

    (3) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
 means--
        (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
 National Forest System land; and
        (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
 public lands.

    (b) Strategy.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in coordination 
 with holders of permits to graze livestock on Federal land 
 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned and in 
 consultation with other relevant stakeholders described in 
 paragraph

    (3) , shall develop a strategy to utilize livestock 
 grazing as a wildfire risk reduction tool consistent with the 
 laws applicable to the Secretary concerned.

    (2) Considerations.--The strategy developed under paragraph

    (1) shall consider--
        (A) the use of grazing on vacant grazing allotments 
 during instances of drought, wildfire, or other natural 
 disasters that disrupt grazing on allotments already 
 permitted;
        (B) the use of targeted grazing to reduce hazardous 
 fuels, including on Federal land within the wildland 
 urban interface (as defined in 

section 101 of the 
 Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
 6511)), and other critical areas identified by the 
 Secretaries concerned;
            (C) recommending the use of targeted grazing when 
 providing technical assistance to communities and 
 Indian Tribes in their efforts to reduce wildfire risk 
 and implement wildfire management strategies;
            (D) the use of temporary permits to promote 
 targeted fuels reduction and reduction of cheatgrass 
 and other invasive annual grasses, including any 
 potential need for the use of grazing outside permitted 
 animal unit months and season of use, as appropriate 
 for the explicit purposes of targeted fuels reduction 
 of cheatgrass and other invasive annual grasses;
        (E) the use of targeted grazing to aid in 
 controlling invasive annual grasses, including 
 cheatgrass;
        (F) the use of targeted grazing in postfire 
 recovery efforts, as appropriate;
        (G) an integrated use of advanced technologies such 
 as virtual fencing to dynamically adjust livestock 
 placement;
        (H) the use of grazing on Federal land in a manner 
 that--
            (i) avoids conflicts with other uses of 
 that Federal land; and
            (ii) is consistent with any applicable land 
 management plan;
            (I) a workforce development plan to ensure that 
 Federal workers have the necessary skills to manage 
 livestock grazing programs and deploy technologies;
        (J) the use of cooperative agreements with States, 
 local governments, Indian Tribes, and local 
 firefighting agencies to reduce hazardous fuels and 
 invasive annual grasses, including reimbursements 
 authorized under other provisions of law, including 
 under good neighbor agreements under 

section 8206 of 
 the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); and
        (K) other applicable statutory or regulatory 
 authorities, as determined by the Secretary concerned.

    (3) Consultation.--In developing the strategy under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary concerned shall consult with--
        (A) applicable States;
        (B) applicable units of local government;
            (C) applicable Indian Tribes;
            (D) applicable utility authorities;
        (E) applicable firefighting agencies;
        (F) land management organizations;
        (G) outdoor recreation, conservation, and sportsmen 
 organizations; and
        (H) other interested members of the applicable 
 community.
            (c) Effect on Existing Grazing Programs.--Nothing in this section 
affects any livestock grazing program being carried out as of the date 
of enactment of this Act by the Secretary concerned.
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