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Grazing rights allow ranchers to let livestock feed on land they don’t own, but overgrazing and exploitation can lead to a tragedy of the commons. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 introduced grazing rights in the US, but mismanagement has led to criticism. Environmental groups now lease federally protected grassland to prevent further damage to ecosystems.
The term grazing rights refers to the ability of a rancher to allow livestock to feed on an area of land he does not own. During the early settlement of the United States, the idea of open grazing was not a problem due to the large amount of land available. Rising populations, increasing land ownership, and deteriorating ecosystems have led to federal legislation on grazing rights in the United States. Similar issues make grazing rights a problematic topic in countries around the world.
Shared grazing is just one example of a ‘common resource’, often called the ‘commons’. The idea of a common grazing area for cattle originated in England where it is still employed today. However, since the resource is shared, the temptation to exploit the common space is always high.
For example, consider an area of land shared by five ranchers who each have three head of cattle. The land that ranchers share, the commons, can easily support fifteen animals grazing every day. Eventually one of the farmers will want to add animals to his herd. When this happens, the other farmer’s cattle have slightly less grazing area. However, the other ranchers do not share the wealth of owning the additional livestock. They share only the reduction of the commons.
Farmers soon realize that the person who owns the most animals will reap the greatest benefits. As more animals are added to the commons, the earth’s ability to regenerate is severely impaired until it is no longer able to support any livestock. This is known as a tragedy of the commons, a term first used by a biologist named Garrett Hardin in 1968.
In the United States, overgrazing became a major problem when livestock were placed on land previously dominated by the American buffalo or bison. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, signed by President Roosevelt, was intended to prevent further damage to the ecosystem. About 65 million acres (about 263,000 square kilometers) were covered by the Taylor Grazing Act and the idea of grazing rights was introduced in the United States.
A key feature of the Taylor Grazing Act allowed federally identified grazing lands to be leased to ranchers for a specified period of time. However, some critics argue that the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service mismanaged these areas. Critics point out that as of 2009 these areas produce only 50 percent of the forage plants they did before 1800. Some also cite the low cost of land rent for grazing as part of the problem: US$1.35 per animal unit per month in 2009.
Environmental groups in the United States have now begun leasing large tracts of federally protected grassland. However, instead of opening up the land to grazing rights, they prevent it and allow the land to “rest”. Environmental groups say allowing these areas to recover fulfills the intended purpose of the Taylor Grazing Act: to prevent the ongoing erosion, fires, land degradation and desertification of the western United States. The practice has proven very effective in Arizona and several other US states.
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