Legislation aimed at reducing wildfire risk through targeted grazing has advanced in the U.S. Senate. The Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act, introduced by Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The bill will now proceed to a vote on the Senate floor.
The legislation comes as states across the West experience historic drought conditions, leading to increasingly severe wildfires each year. If enacted, the measure would require the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service to work with grazing allotment holders, states, Tribes, and fire departments to develop a strategy that uses targeted livestock grazing as a method for managing hazardous fuels.
Senator Curtis highlighted recent wildfire activity in his state: “Last year, Utah saw nearly 165,000 acres burned by wildfires—the most acreage burned since 2020,” said Senator Curtis. “Pilot programs have shown that strategic grazing and use of public lands for fire mitigation can reduce hazardous fuels and slow the spread of wildfires. As we face this year’s fire season, I’m proud to see our bipartisan legislation to empower local officials and fire crews to develop targeted strategies like these advance in the Senate.”
Senator Cortez Masto emphasized Nevada’s experience with such practices: “Nevada’s use of strategic grazing to reduce the risk of devastating wildfires has been a proven success,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now, we have the opportunity to extend this valuable tool throughout the West. I am glad to see my legislation pass through committee with bipartisan support, and I urge Senate leadership to immediately bring it to the floor for a vote.”
The act instructs federal agencies to take into account input from multiple stakeholders when developing its strategic framework for using grazing as a fuel management tool.
