§1901 Congressional Findings and Declaration of Policy

Summary

Requires better care of public rangelands by asking for inventories, stronger management, and more funding so the lands are more productive for livestock, wildlife, recreation, water, and soil conservation. Congress says many rangelands are in poor condition and could get worse, causing soil loss, desertification, worse water quality and supply, loss of wildlife habitat, less forage, more flooding, and economic harm. It says an intensive improvement program and more money can fix these problems. To protect the western livestock industry, grazing permits and lease fees must be charged by a formula that reflects yearly changes in production costs. The Act of December 15, 1971 (85 Stat. 649, 16 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) still protects wild free-roaming horses and burros, but needs changes to cut administrative costs and allow humane adoption or other disposal of excess animals that harm the range. The policy directs: inventory rangeland conditions under section 1711(a); manage and improve rangelands under the planning rules in section 1712; use an equitable grazing fee tied to costs; and keep protecting wild horses and burros while removing excess animals when needed. These policies only take effect when specific legal authority in this chapter or later laws is passed, and they add to other laws governing public rangelands.