II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3322 

To allow holders of certain grazing permits to make minor range improvements and to require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 

of the Interior respond to requests for range improvements within 30 

days, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2023 

Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. RISCH, Mr. DAINES, and Mr. 

LEE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To allow holders of certain grazing permits to make minor 

range improvements and to require that the Secretary 

of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior respond 

to requests for range improvements within 30 days, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ranching Without Red 

5 Tape Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENTS UNDER USFS GRAZ2 ING PERMITS. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) CFR TERMS.—The terms ‘‘grazing permit’’, 

5 ‘‘permittee’’, and ‘‘range improvement’’ have the 

6 meanings given those terms, respectively, in section 

7 222.1(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or 

8 successor regulations). 

9 (2) COVERED REQUEST.—The term ‘‘covered 

10 request’’ means a request submitted by a permittee 

11 to the Secretary requesting that the Secretary carry 

12 out a range improvement. 

13 (3) MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENT.—The term 

14 ‘‘minor range improvement’’ includes improvements 

15 to existing fences and fence lines, wells, water pipe16 lines, and stock tanks. 

17 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

18 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

19 (b) MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENTS BY PERMIT20 TEES.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

21 of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regulations allowing 

22 a permittee to carry out a minor range improvement on 

23 the land with respect to which the permittee holds a graz24 ing permit if— 


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1 (1) the permittee notifies the applicable Forest 

2 Service district ranger at least 30 days prior to car3 rying out such minor range improvement; and 

4 (2) such applicable district ranger— 

5 (A) approves the minor range improve6 ment; or 

7 (B) does not respond to the notification. 

8 (c) RANGE IMPROVEMENTS BY THE SECRETARY.— 

9 The Secretary, acting through the applicable forest super10 visor, shall— 

11 (1) respond to a covered request not later than 

12 30 days after the date on which such covered re13 quest is submitted; and 

14 (2) if such response confirms that the Sec15 retary, acting through the applicable forest super16 visor, will carry out the range improvement re17 quested— 

18 (A) notify the district office that serves the 

19 area in which such range improvement will 

20 occur; and 

21 (B) expedite the carrying out of such 

22 range improvement using any available adminis23 trative tools or authorities, including categorical 

24 exclusions. 


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1 SEC. 3. MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENTS UNDER BLM GRAZ2 ING PERMITS. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) COVERED REQUEST.—The term ‘‘covered 

5 request’’ means a request submitted by a grazing 

6 permit or lease holder to the Secretary requesting 

7 that the Secretary carry out a range improvement. 

8 (2) GRAZING PERMIT OR LEASE.—The term 

9 ‘‘grazing permit or lease’’ means a grazing permit or 

10 lease described in section 4130.2 of title 43, Code of 

11 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). 

12 (3) MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENT.—The term 

13 ‘‘minor range improvement’’ includes improvements 

14 to existing fences and fence lines, wells, water pipe15 lines, and stock tanks. 

16 (4) RANGE IMPROVEMENT.—The term ‘‘range 

17 improvement’’ means a range improvement carried 

18 out pursuant to subpart 4120 of title 43, Code of 

19 Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). 

20 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 (b) MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENTS BY GRAZING

23 PERMIT HOLDERS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

24 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue regula25 tions allowing a grazing permit or lease holder to carry 


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1 out a minor range improvement on the land with respect 

2 to which the grazing permit or lease applies if— 

3 (1) the grazing permit or lease holder notifies 

4 the applicable Bureau of Land Management district 

5 or field manager at least 30 days prior to carrying 

6 out such minor range improvement; and 

7 (2) such applicable district or field manager— 

8 (A) approves the minor range improve9 ment; or 

10 (B) does not respond to the notification. 

11 (c) RANGE IMPROVEMENTS BY THE SECRETARY.— 

12 The Secretary, acting through the applicable State Direc13 tor of the Bureau of Land Management, shall— 

14 (1) respond to a covered request not later than 

15 30 days after the date on which such covered re16 quest is submitted; and 

17 (2) if such response confirms that the Sec18 retary, acting through the applicable State Director 

19 of the Bureau of Land Management, will carry out 

20 the range improvement requested— 

21 (A) notify the State office that serves the 

22 area in which such range improvement will 

23 occur; and 

24 (B) expedite the carrying out of such 

25 range improvement using any available adminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:28 Nov 22, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3322.IS S3322

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1 trative tools or authorities, including categorical 

2 exclusions. 

Æ 


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