USDA is taking additional steps to increase livestock grazing on federal lands. The directive calls for reopening vacant and closed grazing allotments, restoring grazing capacity where appropriate and adding at least 500,000 animal unit months of grazing capacity over the next two years. Shad Sullivan, property rights committee chair for R-CALF USA, welcomed the move, saying expanded grazing opportunities can help increase domestic cattle production and strengthen the U.S. beef industry at a time when cattle inventories remain near historic lows.
