A bipartisan bill that would create a new voluntary grazing land restoration program that would open up to 20 million new acres for grazing has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the Rebuilding America’s National Cow Herd (RANCH) Act on August 19.
At full enrollment of 20 million acres, the program established by the RANCH Act would provide sufficient grazing land to support an estimated 2 million to 4 million additional beef cattle.
“Anyone who has spent time around cattle understands one simple truth: no grass means no cattle,” Rounds said in a press release. “The RANCH Act would create a voluntary Ranchland Program that helps producers restore eligible marginal cropland into grasslands for grazing. Producers can use their land in a way that makes the most sense for each individual operation, giving those who know their land best the tools needed to succeed.”
Rounds added that, with ranchers facing drought, high input costs and a shortage of grazing land, America’s beef cow herd is at its smallest size in more than 70 years.
“The bipartisan RANCH Act will help farmers looking to start a cow-calf herd or expand their existing herd while also providing wildlife habitat on the land,” Klobuchar said. “In the long-term, this plan can rebuild the domestic cattle herd and help drive down beef costs.”
The RANCH Act:
- Strengthens American food security by expanding the domestic beef supply and reducing reliance on imported beef
- Puts American ranchers first, expanding the grazing land base needed to rebuild the national cow herd and meet growing consumer demand
- Expands domestic demand for American-grown grain and forage, giving U.S. farmers a stronger, more reliable market as the cattle herd grows
- Supports commodity prices for row crop producers by modestly tightening grain supply through a reduction in planted acres
- Makes U.S. farmers and ranchers more competitive in the global marketplace while building a stronger domestic agricultural base
- Enhances water quality, soil health and wildlife habitat through established perennial cover and managed grazing
- Reinvigorates rural communities through the economic benefits of increased livestock production, grain demand and wildlife populations
- Lowers the barrier to entry for beginning ranchers through targeted cost-share and signing incentive payments, bringing the next generation onto the land
The RANCH Act is supported by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, Society for Range Management, Pheasants Forever, the World Wildlife Fund, the National Audubon Society, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation and the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association.
