U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) reintroduced the Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health (RANCH) Act to promote resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West.
Introduce legislation to promote resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West.
Occurrences
During the hearing, Barrasso highlighted how the Grasslands Grazing Act will give Wyoming ranchers like Ty the certainty they need that their grazing permits will be approved in a timely manner. "In Wyoming, cattle graze on the Thunder Basin National Grassland. It encompasses a little over half a million acres. My bill helps bring regulatory clarity for grazing permits from the U.S. Forest Service," said Barrasso. "Ranchers across the West depend on access to grazing on our National Grasslands. They deserve to have certainty that their grazing permits will be approved in a timely manner. The Grasslands Grazing Act will give Wyoming’s ranching families the stability they need to keep their operations running strong."
Senator Barrasso introduced S.2787, the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to ensure that ranchers with grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other federal land.
"a bill currently before the Senate" ... how it would help "expedite the process" for temporary use of vacant grazing allotments. "this RANCH Act is going to help ranchers and rural communities work with Washington – not against it,"
Evidence
On May 12, 2023, Senator John Barrasso reintroduced the Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health (RANCH) Act to promote resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West.
On January 23, 2025, Senator Barrasso introduced the RANCH Act to support ranchers and promote resilient rangelands and effective grazing management across the West.
On February 13, 2026, Ty Checketts testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in support of Senator Barrasso’s Grasslands Grazing Act, which aims to ensure ranchers with grazing permits on National Grasslands are treated the same as those on other federal lands.
On January 16, 2025, Senator Barrasso introduced the Wildfire Prevention Act to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health, which includes provisions for grazing as a wildfire mitigation tool.
On September 11, 2025, Senator Barrasso introduced S.2787, the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025, to amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to ensure that ranchers with grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other federal land.
On February 11, 2025, Senator Barrasso introduced legislation to protect multiple use policy on federal lands, aiming to block the Bureau of Land Management’s finalized Public Lands Rule.
On November 21, 2013, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed Senator Barrasso’s Grazing Improvement Act, aiming to extend grazing permits and provide stability to ranching families.
On June 4, 2024, Senator Barrasso introduced S.4454, the Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program Act, to establish a program on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee held a hearing on pending legislation that included S. 2787, Barrasso’s Grasslands Grazing Act, described as a bill to ensure ranchers with grazing agreements on national grasslands are treated the same as permittees on other federal land.
Barrasso’s office said he introduced Ty Checketts before the Senate ENR Committee, and the release states Checketts endorsed the Grasslands Grazing Act, which would give ranchers on National Grasslands the same treatment as other federal-land permittees and provide more certainty for grazing permits.
Barrasso's Senate office says he introduced the RANCH Act and describes it as legislation promoting resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West, with provisions on vacant grazing allotments, rangeland health projects, longer permits or leases, and categorical exclusions for certain grazing actions.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing notice lists S. 2787, Barrasso's bill to amend federal land law so ranchers with national grasslands grazing agreements receive the same treatment as other federal-land permittees.
Barrasso's office says Ty Checketts testified at a Senate ENR subcommittee hearing supporting Barrasso's Grasslands Grazing Act, which would bring regulatory clarity and stability for National Grasslands grazing permits.
Barrasso's office says he introduced legislation to protect multiple-use management on federal lands, including grazing, by blocking the Bureau of Land Management's Public Lands Rule.
Assessments
The promise was to introduce legislation, not necessarily to enact it. Barrasso directly introduced the RANCH Act on January 23, 2025, described as promoting resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West, matching the claim. Additional related grazing and rangeland bills and committee activity reinforce that this was federal Senate action during his current term.
Barrasso directly fulfilled the promise by reintroducing the RANCH Act on May 12, 2023, which explicitly aimed to promote resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West. Later related bills and committee activity reinforce that he materially advanced the same policy agenda within his Senate term.
There is extensive evidence that Senator Barrasso introduced multiple bills specifically aimed at promoting resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West. These included the RANCH Act, Grasslands Grazing Act, Operational Flexibility Grazing Management Program Act, and other relevant legislation across several Congressional sessions, clearly fulfilling the promise to introduce such legislation.