Takeaways From ProPublica’s Investigation on Public Lands Grazing
ProPublica••nation
Key Points:
- The federal government permits livestock grazing on over twice the land area of California, making ranching the largest land use in the Western U.S., supported by billions in taxpayer subsidies that often harm the environment.
- Grazing fees charged by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service are heavily discounted—about 93% below market rates—and ranchers also benefit from at least $2.5 billion in additional subsidies, including disaster assistance and predator compensation.
- A small group of wealthy individuals and corporations control the majority of public lands grazing permits, with the top 10% managing roughly two-thirds of BLM grazing and over half on Forest Service lands; financial benefits extend beyond cattle sales to tax breaks and property investments.
- The Trump
