H. Res. 1144 is a simple House resolution that supports recognizing 2026 as the United Nations’ “International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists” and encourages federal agencies, universities, and other organizations to undertake education, research, and outreach about rangeland management.
The resolution is nonbinding and creates no new programs or funding. Its practical purpose is to raise the profile of rangelands and pastoralists — a constituency the resolution frames as economically and ecologically important — and to prompt federal and nonfederal actors to highlight best practices and research opportunities related to multiple-use and sustainable rangeland management.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill is a House resolution that formally supports the UN designation of 2026 and contains three short 'Resolved' clauses: support for the designation, recognition of rangelands’ importance, and encouragement that agencies and institutions engage in outreach activities. It does not change law, appropriate funds, or create regulatory duties.
Who It Affects
Directly implicated parties are federal land-management agencies (e.g., BLM, USFS), land-grant and other universities, agricultural extension services, ranchers and pastoralist groups, and conservation organizations that run outreach programs. Implementation would rely on existing agency programs and voluntary participation by universities and NGOs.
Why It Matters
Despite being symbolic, the resolution can steer public attention and agency communications toward rangelands and pastoralists, shaping research priorities and outreach in 2026. For stakeholders who compete for limited federal and philanthropic attention, formal recognition can translate into programmatic visibility even without new appropriations.
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What This Bill Actually Does
H. Res. 1144 compiles a set of factual 'whereas' findings about rangelands and pastoralists and then states three short declarations supporting the United Nations’ 2026 designation.
The preamble assembles statistics and claims about the scale and uses of rangelands — domestically and globally — and describes pastoralists as the people who raise livestock while stewarding these landscapes. The operative text simply: (1) supports recognizing the International Year, (2) recognizes rangelands’ economic, social, and ecological importance and the role of ranchers, farmers, land managers, and pastoralists, and (3) encourages federal agencies, universities, and organizations to engage in education, research, and outreach activities related to rangeland management.
The bill’s preamble includes a number of specific factual statements intended to justify the recognition: it says U.S. rangelands cover up to 770,000,000 acres and nearly 36 percent of U.S. land; it cites global figures that rangelands cover more than half of terrestrial surface (about 19.8 billion acres) and support nearly 2 billion people; it asserts that pastoral grazing can reduce catastrophic wildfire risk by up to 60 percent; and it notes that more than half of the national sheep herd and about 60 percent of the Western cattle herd spend some time on federal public rangelands. The preamble also states that the U.S. federal government and private ranchers manage large shares of these lands and that the UN has designated 2026 as the year of focus.Substantively, the resolution does not create obligations, appropriations, or regulatory changes.
It places no deadlines or reporting requirements on agencies. Its practical effect would be to encourage agencies and institutions to use existing authorities and budgets to spotlight rangeland issues in 2026 through activities such as public education, extension work, conferences, research dissemination, media, and partnership efforts.
Because it is nonbinding, the scale and character of any follow-on activity will depend on agency priorities, university decisions, and the interest of NGOs and ranching groups.
The Five Things You Need to Know
H. Res. 1144 is a nonbinding House resolution introduced March 27, 2026 by Rep. Celeste Maloy with seven named cosponsors in the text.
The resolution contains three operative clauses: (1) support for the UN designation for 2026, (2) recognition of rangelands and their caretakers, and (3) encouragement that federal agencies, universities, and organizations engage in outreach and research.
The bill’s preamble cites concrete figures: it claims U.S. rangelands cover up to 770 million acres and make up nearly 36% of U.S. land, and it cites global rangeland totals of roughly 19.8 billion acres supporting about 2 billion people.
The text explicitly lists a menu of outreach activities — education, research, advertisements, films, and advocacy — as examples of actions stakeholders may take in 2026.
Congress referred the resolution to the House Committee on Natural Resources and, additionally, to the Committee on Agriculture for further consideration of jurisdictional matters.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Factual findings and policy framing
The preamble collects a long list of factual assertions about rangelands: their domestic acreage and share of U.S. land, the ecological services they provide (water, biodiversity, carbon storage), their role in domestic food and fiber production, how pastoral grazing relates to wildfire risk and biodiversity, and their global scale and human dependence. These 'whereas' clauses do no legal work but provide the rationale for the House to express support; practitioners should treat them as policy framing rather than enforceable findings.
Formal support for the UN designation
The first resolved clause states the House 'supports recognizing' the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. That is a declarative statement of endorsement by the chamber; it imposes no duties on federal agencies, creates no programs, and does not appropriate money.
Recognition of importance of rangelands and their caretakers
The second clause recognizes the economic, social, and ecological importance of rangelands and the roles of ranchers, farmers, land managers, and pastoralists. This clause is an explicit political recognition that can be cited by stakeholders to support outreach and grant-writing but carries no legal effect.
Encouragement for outreach, research, and education
The third clause encourages federal agencies, universities, and organizations to engage in activities—education, research, and outreach—related to rangeland management. Because the clause uses hortatory language ('encourages'), it depends on voluntary action and existing authorities/budgets; it does not direct agencies to allocate funds or issue new rules.
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Who Benefits
- Ranchers and pastoralists — the resolution brings national attention to their role and may make it easier to secure media coverage, partnerships, and programmatic inclusion in 2026 activities.
- Universities and extension services — the spotlight can justify conferences, research symposia, and extension programming that attract students, grant proposals, and public engagement.
- Conservation and agricultural NGOs — recognition can be leveraged to fundraise and coordinate campaigns that advance sustainable grazing and rangeland restoration efforts.
- Rural communities and regional economies — increased outreach and research may translate into technical assistance, market attention, and tourism/educational events in 2026.
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal agencies (e.g., BLM, USFS, DOI, USDA) — they may face expectation to produce events, materials, or outreach with existing budgets and staff time since the resolution provides no dedicated funding.
- State and local governments and universities — these actors may be asked to participate in or host activities, requiring planning resources that are not reimbursed by the resolution.
- Congressional offices and staff — drafting, coordinating, and responding to stakeholder requests tied to the International Year could increase workload even though there is no new program funding.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is symbolic recognition versus substantive action: the resolution elevates rangelands and pastoralists politically but deliberately avoids creating legal duties or funding, so it can raise expectations without providing the resources or authority needed to convert attention into measurable policy or management change.
The resolution is symbolic by design: it packages a set of factual claims into a Congressional endorsement and asks other actors to act voluntarily. That creates a key implementation challenge — absence of funding or directive authority means any substantive follow-through depends on discretionary choices by agencies, universities, and nonprofits.
Agencies facing competing priorities or constrained budgets may limit activities to communications or small-scale outreach rather than sustained research or land-management shifts.
Another tension arises between competing visions for rangeland management. The bill emphasizes pastoralists, multi-use stewardship, and grazing as a tool that can reduce wildfire risk and support biodiversity.
Those claims are contested in technical and regional contexts; different stakeholders may interpret the resolution’s framing as supporting particular grazing policies or funding priorities, which could complicate cooperative work across conservation- and production-oriented groups. Finally, the resolution lacks implementation metrics or guidance: it does not identify which agencies should lead, how to coordinate federal and private actors, or how to measure outcomes from the 2026 activities, leaving follow-up planning and accountability to subsequent voluntary efforts.
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