The impact of alternative federal grazing fees on western livestock businesses

Many western livestock businesses depend on federal rangeland administered by the USFA Forest Service or the USDI Bureau of Land Management as a feed resource. Between 10-15 percent of the sheep in the 13 western states were in herds that graze federal rangeland. In the short-run most grazing users will continue to graze these lands is fees are increased to as high as ten dollars per animal unit month. In the long-run few users would have money to pay family labor, debt service costs, and a return on personal capital if fees are raised significantly and product prices remain near 1982 levels.