Klobuchar, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan RANCH Act to Rebuild Domestic Cattle Herd

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) have introduced the bipartisan Rebuilding America’s National Cow Herd (RANCH) Act . The RANCH Act will incentivize voluntary conversion of marginal cropland to grazing land to encourage cattle herd recovery as the United States beef cattle herd has contracted to its smallest size in over 70 years. “With the U.S. cattle herd at its smallest size in over 70 years, many farmers and ranchers need new opportunities to stay afloat,” said Klobuchar. “The bipartisan RANCH Act will help farmers looking to start a cow-calf herd or expand their existing herd while also providing wildlife habitat on the land. In the long-term, this plan can rebuild the domestic cattle herd and help drive down beef costs.” “Anyone who has spent time around cattle understands one simple truth: no grass means no cattle,” said Rounds. “With ranchers facing drought, high input costs and a shortage of grazing land, America’s beef cow herd is at its smallest size in over 70 years. The RANCH Act would create a voluntary Ranchland Program that helps producers restore eligible marginal cropland into grasslands for grazing. Producers can use their land in a way that makes the most sense for each individual operation, giving those who know their land best the tools needed to succeed.” “The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association is grateful for Senator Amy Klobuchar’s and Senator Mike Rounds’ support of the RANCH Act, which would establish a new voluntary grazing land restoration program to support and enhance grazing lands across the country,” said Jake Thompson, President of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association. “Grazing is an incredible tool for land management, and it is great to see a program that offers cost-share and signing incentive payments to offset financial costs for the producers.” “Well-managed, restored grazing lands provide important habitat for wildlife while supporting ranchers, farmers, and rural economies,” said Aviva Glaser, Associate Vice President of Agriculture and Grasslands Conservation for the National Wildlife Federation. “Thank you to Senators Rounds and Klobuchar for introducing the RANCH Act, which provides opportunities for producers to restore marginal cropland to grasslands for grazing. By restoring these lands for grazing, this bill can help rebuild the U.S. cow herd while delivering a win for wildlife, ranchers, and rural communities alike.” “The RANCH Act is a smart investment in America’s working lands at a critical time for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities,” said Andrew Schmidt, Director of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “Giving producers the tools to convert marginal cropland to grazing land can help ranchers grow their operations, bring more grass back to the landscape, and increase the habitat that pheasants, quail, and other wildlife depend on. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever thank Senators Rounds and Klobuchar for their leadership on this important legislation.” “The RANCH Act meets a critical need for America's ranchers and grasslands, particularly in the Great Plains,” said Alexis Bonogofsky, Vice President of the Great Plains Program at the World Wildlife Fund. “It would create a dedicated program to restore grasslands for grazing and enable effective grazing management plans, which are essential to the productivity of both ranchers and grassland ecosystems. While the scale of marginal lands that need to be restored far exceeds the 20 million acres this program would support, this is a significant and welcome step forward.” “The RANCH ACT is the sort of legislation and idea that we have long worked on and hoped for to find new ways to incentivize creation of working forage to support ranchers, cow calf operations and cover for nesting ducks and other species,” said John L. Devney, Chief Policy Officer at Delta Waterfowl. “We sincerely appreciate Senator Rounds and Senator Klobuchar for advancing this important idea.” “Healthy grazing lands are essential to a healthy landscape,” said Ryan Taylor, Director of Public Policy at Ducks Unlimited. “The RANCH Act recognizes the conservation value of these working lands while helping address the need for additional livestock grazing. This legislation helps ranchers restore marginal cropland to perennial cover and managed grazing. Ducks Unlimited supports voluntary, rancher-driven solutions that improve habitat, soil health, and water quality while keeping ranchers on the land for generations to come.” ###