This Act would establish the Malheur County Grazing Management Program on Federal land in Malheur County, Oregon, offering permittees and lessees new operational flexibility to respond to weather, forage, and ecological conditions. It also creates a multi-stakeholder governance structure—the Malheur C.E.O.
Group—to identify and fund eligible projects aimed at ecological restoration and sustainable grazing. Separately, the bill designates roughly 1.1 million acres of federal land in the county as wilderness and initiates land transfers and co-stewardship arrangements with the Burns Paiute Tribe.
The package includes funding authorizations and sets out the legal framework for implementing these changes while preserving existing grazing rights and subject to applicable laws.
At a Glance
What It Does
Authorizes a Malheur County Grazing Management Program that allows flexible grazing uses, with monitoring plans and interim adjustments to permits and leases, subject to consent and plan adherence.
Who It Affects
Grazing permittees and lessees, federal and state agencies, tribal governments (notably Burns Paiute and Fort McDermitt), local landowners, and the Malheur County community.
Why It Matters
Creates a structured pathway to balance ecological health with grazing needs, while expanding tribal stewardship and establishing a coordinated local governance framework for land and water across a large desert watershed.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to implement a Malheur County Grazing Management Program on federal lands in Malheur County, Oregon. This program would provide increased operational flexibility to grazing permittees and lessees, including slight changes to the season of use or water placement, in response to weather, forage productivity, or ecological conditions, once a monitoring plan is in place.
The Secretary would work with permittees, relevant federal and state agencies, the Malheur C.E.O. Group, the Burns Paiute Tribe, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, other landowners, and the public to develop alternatives and to adopt interim flexibilities as appropriate.
A robust rangeland monitoring regime would be created to measure progress toward long-term ecological health and to inform future management decisions, with annual reporting on effects and adjustments.
The Act also creates the Malheur C.E.O. Group, an 18-member body charged with proposing eligible projects on federal or non-federal land within the county.
Projects may focus on ecological restoration, range improvements for efficient, ecologically sound grazing, invasive species control, water infrastructure restoration, cultural resource protection, or research. Most projects on federal land require approval by the head of the relevant agency, and if a project is not approved, the head must provide written reasons within 14 business days.
The group’s funding recommendations rely on consensus, and the bill sets cost-sharing rules and potential funding from grants. The Secretary may adopt the Group’s preferred alternative into grazing permits or leases, with notification requirements for proposed adjustments.Separately, the bill designates roughly 1.1 million acres of Malheur County land as wilderness, ensuring management under the Wilderness Act with specific provisions to allow existing grazing where rights predate enactment and to permit certain wildlife and road-appropriate management activities.
It also contemplates land withdrawals and the transfer of certain land to the Burns Paiute Tribe, creating a Castle Rock Co-Stewardship Area under a tribal memorandum of understanding. The Act authorizes appropriations to support these provisions and clarifies that tribal land transfers and wilderness designations do not extinguish existing rights or affect preexisting uses.
Finally, it provides for coordination with state and federal agencies and supports potential state land exchanges to complete transfers.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The Malheur County Grazing Management Program would offer at least one operationally flexible alternative for grazing permits or leases.
A Malheur C.E.O. Group of 18 members (including tribal, private, environmental, and government representatives) will oversee eligible projects and operate by consensus.
Approximately 1.1 million acres in Malheur County would be designated as wilderness areas under the Wilderness Act, with grazing rights preserved where preexisting.
Jonesboro Ranch, Road Gulch, and Black Canyon lands would be conveyed into trust for the Burns Paiute Tribe, with a possible state land exchange within 3 years.
Castle Rock Co-Stewardship Area would be created, with tribal MOUs and potential management agreements; funding is authorized to support these activities.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Definitions and Key Terms
Defines core terms used throughout the bill, including Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Federal land, long-term ecological health, Malheur C.E.O. Group, operational flexibility, and Secretary. These definitions establish the framework for how grazing management, wilderness designation, and tribal land transfers will operate in practice.
Malheur County Grazing Management Program
Authorizes the Secretary to administer a grazing program on Federal land in Malheur County to improve long-term ecological health, with provisions for flexible grazing use, monitoring plans, and annual reporting. The Secretary must consult with permittees, federal and state agencies, the Malheur C.E.O. Group, and tribes and other stakeholders before implementing interim flexibilities and adjustments to grazing arrangements.
Malheur C.E.O. Group
Establishes an 18-member group to propose eligible projects on Federal and non-Federal land, set funding priorities by consensus, and manage grants and donations. The group operates with both voting and nonvoting members from private interests, environmental groups, tribal entities, and government agencies, and it prioritizes habitat, range restoration, and ecosystem health.
Wilderness Designations and Land Management
Designates approximately 1.1 million acres as wilderness areas in Malheur County, with maps and legal descriptions to follow and management under the Wilderness Act. It preserves preexisting grazing rights, allows certain management activities, and clarifies that adjacent roads may remain open and that some land with wilderness characteristics may be managed under Lacey or other applicable plans.
Land Conveyances to Burns Paiute Tribe and Castle Rock Co-Stewardship
Requires trust transfers of Jonesboro Ranch, Road Gulch, and Black Canyon lands to the Burns Paiute Tribe and defines a Castle Rock Co-Stewardship Area with a memorandum of understanding. The Secretary would pursue a land exchange with the State and may enter into management agreements, with grazing and water rights treated in accordance with existing laws.
Appropriations and Effects
Authorizes funding for these provisions, including $1,000,000 annually from 2026–2036 for the grazing program and related activities, plus a separate appropriation of $2,000,000 for 2026 to support land transfers and tribal stewardship. The Act preserves existing rights and does not alter current grazing privileges or preexisting treaties, and it enables coordinated management across federal, state, tribal, and local entities.
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Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Authorized grazing permittees and lessees gain structured flexibility to adapt grazing to conditions without losing permits.
- Burns Paiute Tribe and Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes gain land in trust, potential co-stewardship arrangements, and a voice in local land management through the Malheur C.E.O. Group.
- Recreational, tourism, and local economic interests benefit from broader habitat and ecosystem restoration, which can support sustainable outdoor activities and economic development.
- Local government entities and irrigation districts gain a formal channel (the Malheur C.E.O. Group) to influence restoration projects and land-use decisions in the county.
Who Bears the Cost
- Grazing permittees and lessees must comply with new notice and adjustment requirements and bear costs associated with changes in grazing schedules and monitoring.
- Federal agencies (BLM, USFS, and cooperating agencies) will incur costs to implement monitoring plans, evaluate projects, and administer the program.
- State agencies involved in wildlife, parks, and land management may incur costs to participate in consultation and project oversight.
- The county and local communities may face short-term adjustments and funding needs to support project planning, implementation, and public participation.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing ecological restoration and sustainable grazing with ongoing rights and interests of multiple stakeholders, including tribal sovereignty, environmental protections, and local economic vitality. The bill attempts to align these aims through a collaborative governance structure and land transfers, but the need to maintain consensus and secure funding creates a risk that ambitious projects could stall or that short-term compromises undermine long-term ecological or cultural goals.
The bill creates a broad set of authorities and processes that require careful coordination across multiple levels of government, tribes, and private interests. The reliance on consensus within the Malheur C.E.O.
Group could slow decision-making or create deadlock in project selection, especially for high-stakes ecological or cultural resource restoration. The wilderness designations impose significant land-use protections that may constrain nonconforming activities, even as grazing rights are preserved for preexisting uses.
The land transfers to the Burns Paiute Tribe and the Castle Rock Co-Stewardship Area introduce new governance dynamics that must be reconciled with state and federal laws and with existing water, mining, and grazing rights. Funding schedules and caps (e.g., 75 percent federal cost share and limits on grants) will shape the pace and scale of implementation and may affect project viability if appropriations lag or are insufficient to cover anticipated needs.
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