By Jamie Martin
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) welcomed the administration’s announcement of plans to rescind the 2024 Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. The proposal, introduced last year, alarmed ranchers by threatening decades of managed grazing on public lands.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said the rule would have undermined its own conservation goals. Ranchers and farmers, he explained, care deeply for the resources they use, and responsible grazing plays a vital role in ecosystem health.
Grazing cattle on federal lands clears dry vegetation that can feed wildfires, reduces invasive species, and supports a balanced landscape. According to Duvall, the 2024 rule went beyond the Bureau of Land Management’s authority and would have harmed both ranchers and consumers by restricting production of safe, affordable protein.
The Farm Bureau took legal action to challenge the rule, emphasizing that federal conservation policies must respect established grazing rights and practical land management methods.
By moving to withdraw the regulation, the current administration acknowledges the importance of ranching to environmental stewardship and food security. Duvall urged federal officials to complete the rescission promptly, giving ranchers confidence to continue their work of protecting natural resources and feeding American families.
This decision underscores a shared commitment to conservation and sustainable agriculture while safeguarding the livelihoods of U.S. farmers and ranchers.
Photo Credit: american-farm-bureau-federation
Categories: National