The Need for Flexibility:

Exploring Innovation in a Public Land Grazing System

Program Overview

The Bureau of Land Management’s Outcome-based Grazing program offers a more collaborative approach between the BLM and its partners within the livestock grazing community when issuing grazing authorizations. The program allows for necessary, timely grazing adjustments that benefit the health of the rangeland for wildlife as well as its availability of forage for livestock. These flexibilities help to create both ecological and economic resiliency throughout the West.

In small communities like Plush, Oregon, where “The Need for Flexibility: Exploring Innovation in a Public Land Grazing System” was filmed, agriculture is a major economic contributor. Benefits extend far beyond the actual animal unit months (AUMS) provided to the producer. The creation of local jobs, community investments, and the stability provided by a balanced and documented approach to resource management all help foster resiliency in communities across the West.

As the program continues to grow, the Intermountain West Joint Venture will continue to produce resources to help bring about a stronger understanding of program goals and accomplishments.

What are the “outcomes” of Outcome-based Grazing?

• Providing BLM managers and livestock operators the ability to make management decisions based on experience, knowledge of local conditions, and a well-articulated set of resource and operational objectives.

• Emphasizing conservation performance and ecological outcomes rather than process and prescription.

• Cooperatively improving, managing and/or protecting public lands within an allotment and/or multiple allotments.

• Supporting enhanced partnerships in managing livestock grazing.

• Continuing to achieve or attain positive economic and social outcomes.

Is the permitting process for Outcome-based Grazing different than for standard grazing permits?

Outcome-based Grazing follows the same grazing regulations and policies that other grazing permits do. They are required to have an understanding of ecological conditions, a NEPA analysis of actions and impacts, and a decision that clarifies the terms and conditions offered for the grazing permit. The only difference is that the flexibilities are covered in the NEPA analysis upfront, so as the need arises to adjust to conditions, everyone is working from a pre-defined rule set of data collection, interpretation, and possible responses.

What’s next for the Outcome-based Grazing program?

The BLM plans to develop guidance and best management practices for broader implementation of Outcome-based Grazing based on the experiences from implementing nationally supported demonstration projects. Grazing management actions will be developed for NEPA analysis.

Looking for additional resources? Learn more about the Outcome-Based Grazing program below: