I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6314 
To expand the authorization of voluntary Federal grazing permit retirement, 
provide increased flexibility for Federal grazing permittees, promote the 
equitable resolution or avoidance of conflicts on Federal lands managed 
by the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 
Mr. SMITH of Washington (for himself and Mr. HUFFMAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To expand the authorization of voluntary Federal grazing 
permit retirement, provide increased flexibility for Fed-
eral grazing permittees, promote the equitable resolution 
or avoidance of conflicts on Federal lands managed by 
the Department of Agriculture or the Department of 
the Interior, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Voluntary grazing permit retirement program. 
Sec. 5. Effect of waiver of grazing permit. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Voluntary grazing permit retirement is a 
successful land management tool that has been au-
thorized by Congress for specific purposes and in 
numerous areas throughout the 16 Western States, 
including Death Valley National Park, Capitol Reef 
National Park, Arches National Park, Cascade- 
Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon Caves Na-
tional Monument and Preserve, and Wilderness 
Areas in the Owyhee Canyonlands and Boulder- 
White Clouds. 
(2) Expanding the authority for voluntary graz-
ing permit retirement to include all Federal lands 
managed by the Department of Agriculture and the 
Department of the Interior in the 16 Western States 
will aid in the resolution of land and resource man-
agement conflicts and provide Federal grazing per-
mittees and lessees with increased flexibility and op-
portunities when making decisions about the future 
of their livestock operations. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATIVELY RETIRED GRAZING AL-
LOTMENT.—The term ‘‘administratively retired graz-
ing allotment’’ means a grazing allotment, or portion 
of a grazing allotment, on Federal lands managed by 
the Secretary that is or becomes vacant or closed 
due to the voluntary waiver of the grazing permit or 
lease by the holder of the grazing permit or lease 
issued by the Secretary with the intention of perma-
nently ending livestock grazing on that grazing allot-
ment, or portion of a grazing allotment, as a result 
of an agreement with a third party. 
(2) COMMERCIAL
LIVESTOCK
GRAZING; LIVE-
STOCK GRAZING.—The terms ‘‘commercial livestock 
grazing’’ and ‘‘livestock grazing’’— 
(A) mean the grazing of domestic livestock 
on Federal lands as authorized by a grazing 
permit or lease; and 
(B) do not include the grazing of beasts of 
burden on Federal lands while used for rec-
reational or administrative purposes. 
(3) GRAZING ALLOTMENT.—The term ‘‘grazing 
allotment’’ means the designated portion of Federal 
land upon which domestic livestock are authorized to 
graze by a grazing permit or lease. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(4) GRAZING
PERMIT; 
LEASE.—The terms 
‘‘grazing permit or lease’’ and ‘‘grazing permit and 
lease’’ mean any document authorizing the use of 
Federal lands for the purpose of commercial live-
stock grazing. 
(5) PERMITTEE; LESSEE.—The terms ‘‘per-
mittee or lessee’’ and ‘‘permittee and lessee’’ mean 
a livestock operator that holds a valid existing graz-
ing permit or lease. 
(6) RANGE DEVELOPMENTS.—The term ‘‘range 
developments’’— 
(A) means structures, fences, and other 
permanent fixtures placed on Federal lands for 
the furtherance of the purpose of livestock graz-
ing; and 
(B) does not include rolling stock, live-
stock, and diversions of water from Federal 
lands onto non-Federal lands. 
(7) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ re-
fers to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec-
retary of the Interior. 
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the 
Interior, as appropriate to the administration of a 
grazing permit or lease. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(9) 16 WESTERN STATES.—The term ‘‘16 West-
ern States’’ means Arizona, California, Colorado, 
Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New 
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South 
Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 
SEC. 4. VOLUNTARY GRAZING PERMIT RETIREMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) VOLUNTARY WAIVER OF GRAZING PERMIT OR 
LEASE.— 
(1) ACCEPTANCE BY SECRETARY.—Subject to 
the limitation set forth in subsection (c)(1), the Sec-
retary shall accept, on a first-come, first-served 
basis, any grazing permit or lease related to Federal 
land in the 16 Western States that is voluntarily 
waived by a grazing permittee or lessee with the in-
tention of permanently ending livestock grazing on 
that grazing allotment or on a portion of that graz-
ing allotment. 
(2) TERMINATION.—The Secretary shall imme-
diately terminate any grazing permit or lease accept-
ed under paragraph (1). 
(3) NO
NEW
GRAZING
PERMIT
OR
LEASE.— 
With respect to each grazing permit or lease volun-
tarily waived under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(A) not more than 100 grazing permits, in 
the aggregate. for all of the 16 Western States; 
and 
(B) not more than 25 grazing permits for 
land located in whole or in part in any indi-
vidual State. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—This limitation shall not 
apply to administratively retired grazing allotments 
as of the effective date of this Act. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVELY RETIRED GRAZING ALLOT-
MENTS.—With respect to grazing allotments administra-
tively retired before the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) not issue any new grazing permit or lease 
within the grazing allotment covered by the grazing 
permit or lease; and 
(2) ensure a permanent end to livestock grazing 
on the grazing allotment covered by the grazing per-
mit or lease. 
SEC. 5. EFFECT OF WAIVER OF GRAZING PERMIT. 
(a) EFFECT ON RANGE DEVELOPMENTS.—A per-
mittee or lessee who waives a grazing permit or lease to 
the Secretary under section 4 shall be deemed to have 
waived any claim to all range developments on land cov-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
ered by the grazing permit or lease waived, notwith-
standing any other provision of law. 
(b) SECURING RETIRED ALLOTMENTS AGAINST UN-
AUTHORIZED USE.—The Secretary shall ensure that graz-
ing allotments retired from grazing under this Act are ren-
dered reasonably secure from trespass grazing by domestic 
livestock. 
(c) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY.—Nothing in 
this Act shall be construed to affect the authority of the 
Secretary to modify or terminate any grazing permit or 
lease in accordance with other law. 
(d) RELATION TO VALID EXISTING RIGHTS.—Noth-
ing in this Act affects the allocation, ownership, interest, 
or control, in existence on the date of the enactment of 
this Act, of any water, water right, or any other valid ex-
isting right held by the United States, an Indian Tribe, 
or a State, county, or municipality, or a private individual, 
partnership, or corporation. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:15 Nov 16, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6314.IH
H6314
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB