Grazing Statistical Summary FY2015 (March 2016)

An important part of the Forest Service’s Range Management Program is providing information about all aspects of rangeland vegetation management on National Forest System lands. This report, published annually, provides statistics on grazing use for Congress, our partners, permittees, the livestock industry, other institutions, or agencies, or anyone interested in the use of the National Forest System rangeland vegetation. Livestock grazing is permitted on over 95 million acres of National Forest System lands spread across 29 states. Grazing use is administered through a grazing permit system. The Forest Service administered permits for 5,897 permittees. The authorized use was for approximately 6.9 million head months (HMs) of authorized grazing by cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. An HM is the amount of time in months that an animal spends on National Forest System lands. The data collected is also reported in animal unit months (AUMs), which can be equated to the amount of forage required to support a mature 1,000 lb. cow or its equivalent for one month.