H.R. 4513 — Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health Act

This section establishes a new section 405 to Title IV of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 authorizing the Secretary concerned—Secretary of Agriculture for National Forest System lands or Secretary of the Interior for public lands—to make vacant grazing allotments temporarily available to holders of grazing permits or leases if the holder's original allotments are unusable due to unforeseen natural events or disasters (e.g., extreme weather, drought, wildfire, infestation, or blight) and the vacant allotment is appropriate for such use. (As background, federal grazing permits and leases authorize ranchers to graze livestock on specified public allotments under terms protecting rangeland health.) In setting terms and conditions for temporary use, the Secretary concerned must consider the most recent terms of the vacant allotment (or adjacent allotments if unavailable), local ecological conditions, prior agency agreements (including those addressing wildlife conflicts), and other factors; temporary rangeland improvements (e.g., portable corrals, fencing, pipelines, water troughs) may be authorized. The Secretaries must coordinate across agencies to maximize availability of vacant allotments; such use does not alter the holder's original permit terms, preference rights, or future animal unit months. (Thus, holders retain priority to return to their original allotments once restored.) The Secretary concerned determines the duration of temporary use based on the vacant allotment's condition and time needed to restore the original allotment; guidelines to implement the section must be issued not later than one year after enactment, considering factors such as suitability criteria, eligibility, proximity, livestock classes, and coordination processes; and land health conditions of vacant allotments must be periodically evaluated.