No Rise in Grazing Fees for 2009

You would think with our govt, desperate for ways to generate more income in these economic hardtimes, would think about raising the rediclously low grazing fees. But of course, the ranchers who line the politicians pockets would not be too happy about that, so of course, they leave it alone. The fees remain the same: rediclously low.

Updated: February 2nd, 2009 12:44 PM

Feds keep grazing fees low


Cost for using public lands same as last year

By :JASON KAUFFMAN


This year, public lands ranchers will pay $1.35 per "animal unit month" (AUM) for public lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and $1.35 per "head month" (HM) for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, a BLM news release states. The 2009 grazing fee is the same as it was in 2008.

The two agencies consider the "animal unit month" and "head month" measurements—which are equivalent for fee-paying purposes—as the occupancy and use of public lands by one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month, the news releases states.

The fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and more than 8,000 permits administered by the Forest Service.

The formula used for calculating the federal grazing fee, which was established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a presidential executive order issued in 1986. Under that order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35, and any increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year's level.

The $1.35 grazing fee applies to 16 Western states on public lands administered by the BLM and the Forest Service, including Idaho.


http://www.mtexpress.com/vu_breaking_story.php?bid=6660