Livestock Grazing on Public Land in Washington: Permits, Rules, and Responsibilities

Washington State offers ranchers and livestock producers access to millions of acres of public rangelands, but using that land legally requires navigating a layered system of federal permits, state leases, and agency-specific rules. Whether you run cattle in Okanogan County or graze sheep on Forest Service allotments in the Cascades, getting the details right from the start protects your operation and your permit status.

This guide walks you through every major step — from identifying which public lands are open to grazing, to understanding what happens if your livestock stray outside your allotment or you fall behind on fees. If you also move animals between properties, be sure to review the transporting livestock laws in Washington alongside the grazing rules covered here.

Types of Public Land Open to Grazing in Washington

Washington ranchers can access grazing opportunities across several categories of public land, each managed by a different agency with its own authorization process. Knowing who manages the land you want to use is the first step before you file any application.

BLM-Administered Rangelands: In Oregon and Washington, the BLM administers approximately 14 million acres of rangelands for the use of wildlife and livestock. Most of Washington’s BLM grazing land sits in the Columbia Basin and the shrub-steppe of eastern Washington. The rangelands are divided into allotments and pastures for management purposes.

National Forest System Lands: The U.S. Forest Service manages significant acreage in Washington, including the Okanogan-Wenatchee, Colville, and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. The Forest Service issues three types of grazing permits: Term Grazing Permits, Temporary Grazing Permits, and Livestock Use Permits. Term Grazing Permits are issued for up to ten years and are the type issued to livestock producers throughout the West.

Washington DNR State Trust Lands: Revenue from the 1.1 million acres of state trust lands that DNR leases for agriculture and grazing helps fund public school construction across Washington State. These lands are concentrated in central and eastern Washington, with Okanogan, Kittitas, and Grant counties holding the largest share of active grazing leases.

WDFW Wildlife Areas: The WDFW Fish and Wildlife Commission’s policy is that livestock grazing on WDFW-owned or controlled lands may be permitted if determined to be consistent with the desired ecological conditions for those lands, or with the department’s Strategic Plan. If permitted, grazing is integrated with other uses to ensure the protection of all resource values, the most important being the integrity of the ecosystem. Each grazing permit includes its own specific grazing management plan developed in cooperation with the operator.

Bureau of Reclamation Lands: In central Washington State, BLM manages grazing on more than 8,000 acres of Reclamation land that is adjacent to BLM land in the Columbia Basin Project. If your operation is near a federal water project, check whether the land falls under a joint BLM-Reclamation management agreement.

Pro Tip: Use the BLM’s online map tool to identify allotments with available grazing opportunities before contacting a field office. It saves time and helps you confirm which agency manages the specific parcel you are targeting.

BLM Grazing Permits vs. State Trust Land Leases in Washington

The two most common pathways for public land grazing in Washington are BLM permits and Washington DNR leases. They share some similarities but differ significantly in how fees are set, how rights transfer, and what base property requirements apply.

Feature	BLM Grazing Permit	DNR State Trust Land Lease
Managing Agency	Bureau of Land Management	WA Dept. of Natural Resources
Permit/Lease Term	Up to 10 years, renewable	Negotiated term; re-leased at expiration
Fee Structure	Federal AUM formula (floor: $1.35/AUM)	Fair-market rent, set by public auction
New Availability	Rare; most allotments already obligated	New leases offered at public auction
Base Property Required	Yes — ownership or control required	Not required in the same way
Right Conveyed	No right, title, or interest in land	Leasehold interest only; not transferable by sale

BLM grazing permits or leases convey no right, title, or interest held by the United States in any lands or resources. On the state side, state law requires that DNR obtain fair-market rent for lease of state trust lands, and lessees’ right to their leased property does not extend beyond the term of the existing lease agreement.

For Forest Service permits, the process is comparable to BLM but uses slightly different terminology. Acquiring a permit to graze livestock on National Forest land is not a simple process, since most Forest Service lands eligible to be grazed by livestock are already obligated under existing permits. Your most realistic entry point is purchasing a property or permitted livestock from an existing permittee.

How to Qualify and Apply for a Grazing Permit in Washington

Eligibility rules differ between federal and state systems, but both require you to demonstrate operational capacity before any authorization is issued.

BLM and Forest Service Qualification

All applicants for grazing permits or leases must meet the qualifications for public land grazing privileges that are specified in the BLM grazing regulations. The two core requirements are base property and livestock ownership. BLM requires ownership or control of base property. For most of the West, the base property is land capable of serving as a base of operation for livestock use.

Those holding permits or leases must own or control and be responsible for the management of livestock authorized to graze. You cannot simply lease the grazing privilege to a third party and step away from operational responsibility.

For the Forest Service, without purchasing or acquiring base property, the only other way to acquire a Term Grazing Permit is to purchase permitted livestock and then provide a parcel of land that meets base property requirements. The current holder of the Term Grazing Permit who sold either base property or permitted livestock must waive their permit to the Forest Service in favor of the purchaser.

Washington DNR State Trust Land Lease Qualification

Under WAC 332-20-050, Washington State sets its own eligibility standards for grazing permits on state land. No person shall hold a permit on state land until they have attained the age of eighteen. The applicant must have two years of experience in the grazing or handling of livestock or education in range or livestock management and financial resources to carry out the proposed grazing operation.

For new DNR leases, the process works like this: Few parcels become unleased. Contact region office staff for more information if you locate a parcel of DNR-managed trust land that is currently unleased. Submit a lease application for unleased land to DNR for consideration. DNR evaluates the lease site and environmental conditions. If the proposed land use is approved, a draft lease is developed and offered at public auction.

You can track upcoming lease opportunities through DNR’s Lease Opportunity Viewer, an interactive map that shows parcels offered at public auction and those open for bonus bid application.

Pro Tip: If you are new to public land grazing in Washington, contact your local BLM field office or DNR region office before submitting any paperwork. Staff can confirm whether a specific allotment or parcel is available and walk you through the current application requirements, which can change based on resource conditions.

Grazing Fees and Allotment Rules in Washington

Fee structures on federal and state lands follow different formulas, and understanding both helps you budget accurately for your operation.

Federal BLM and Forest Service Fees

The federal grazing fee is adjusted annually and is calculated by using a formula originally set by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978. Under this formula, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM); also, any fee increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level.

The fee for livestock grazing on lands administered by the BLM during the 2024 Grazing Fee Year (March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025) was $1.35 per AUM — the statutory floor. The grazing fee must be paid before grazing use begins, except where “after the grazing season” billing occurs under the terms of an approved allotment management plan. Verify the current fee year rate with your BLM field office before the season opens, as the annual adjustment is announced each February.

The BLM collects roughly $13 million in grazing fees annually. The receipts from these fees, in accordance with legislative requirements, are shared with state and local governments.

Washington DNR Lease Fees

State law requires that DNR obtain fair-market rent for lease of state trust lands. Unlike the federal AUM formula, DNR fees are market-driven and set through competitive bidding. New grazing leases and permits are auctioned off in the public market. Existing grazing permits typically include lower rates than grazing leases. This means if you are an existing permittee renewing your authorization, your rate may differ from what a new bidder would pay at auction.

All grazing permit fees for state lands will be paid in advance of the opening date of grazing periods or as otherwise authorized by the department. Late payment can trigger permit suspension, so set payment reminders well before your season start date.

Allotment Rules

The terms and conditions for grazing on BLM-managed lands — such as stipulations on forage use and season of use — are set forth in the permits and leases issued to public land ranchers. Your annual grazing authorization specifies the number of AUMs you are permitted to use, the season of use, and which pastures within your allotment are open in a given year. Depending on range conditions, authorized use may be less than your full permitted use in any given year.

Health, Branding, and Identification Requirements for Permitted Livestock in Washington

Before you move animals onto public land in Washington, they must meet state health and identification standards. These rules apply regardless of whether you are grazing on BLM, Forest Service, DNR, or WDFW lands.

State Health Requirements

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) enforces livestock health requirements under Chapter 16.36 RCW and related rules. RCW 16.36.005 generally defines “livestock” to include horses, mules, donkeys, cattle, sheep, llamas, goats, and swine. All livestock moved to public range must have current health certificates and meet any applicable interstate or intrastate movement requirements. Contact the WSDA Animal Services Division to confirm current health testing requirements for your species before the grazing season begins.

Brand Registration and Inspection

Washington is a brand-inspection state. Under Chapter 16.57 RCW, cattle and horses must be identified through the state’s livestock brand system. The WSDA publishes a brand book covering registered brands — the most recent edition covering the 2024–2025 period is available through the WSDA Animal Services program. You must register your brand before placing branded animals on public land, and brand inspections are required when moving livestock off range at the end of the grazing season.

Beyond state branding, your BLM or Forest Service permit may carry additional marking requirements. The authorized officer may require counting and additional or special marking or tagging of the livestock authorized to graze. Read your permit’s terms and conditions carefully, as allotment-specific tagging requirements are common in areas where multiple permittees share adjacent allotments.

Important Note: Livestock identification rules apply at both the state and federal permit level. A valid state brand registration does not automatically satisfy any special tagging requirements written into your BLM or Forest Service permit. Check both sets of requirements before turnout.

If you raise less common livestock breeds — such as Dutch Landrace goats or American Shetland ponies — confirm with WSDA which identification rules apply to your specific species, as requirements vary between cattle, equines, and small ruminants.

Fencing, Water, and Range Improvement Obligations in Washington

Holding a grazing permit comes with active obligations to maintain infrastructure and protect the range. These are not optional — failure to meet them can result in permit action.

Range Improvements: Two Categories

There are two kinds of range improvements: nonstructural and structural. Seedings or prescribed burns are examples of nonstructural range improvements. Fences or facilities, such as wells or water pipelines, are considered structural improvements. Many structural improvements are considered permanent, as they are not easily removed from the land. Such improvements enhance livestock grazing management, improve watershed conditions, enhance wildlife habitat, or serve similar purposes.

On DNR state trust lands, agreements must be made with the department in connection with the construction of range improvements on state range lands. Such agreements must address ownership of the improvements and their disposition at the end of the permit term. Grazing permit fees may be adjusted to compensate permittees for the construction of range improvements or performance of range conservation practices where prior written approval has been granted by the department.

Fencing Responsibilities

Your permit or lease specifies which fences you are responsible for maintaining. On BLM allotments, boundary fences between allotments are typically shared responsibilities, while interior fences are the permittee’s obligation. On DNR lands, the lease agreement spells out maintenance duties explicitly. Failure to keep fences in repair — allowing livestock to stray into unauthorized areas — is one of the most common triggers for permit violations.

Washington’s open range law (RCW 16.24) designates certain counties as range areas where livestock may roam unless fenced out. However, in range areas, cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys are free to wander and graze unless fenced off a property by a legal fence. Small livestock and exotics are illegal to let run at large. This is a state law and does not pertain to federal land. On federal public land, you are always responsible for keeping your animals within your permitted allotment regardless of county open range status.

Water Development

Adequate water is both a management tool and a permit requirement. Developing or maintaining stock water sources — troughs, pipelines, spring developments, or wells — is typically a permittee obligation outlined in your allotment management plan. DNR works with lessees to assure that the lands are productive and sustainably managed, while public resources such as water, fish, and wildlife are protected. Any water development project on BLM or Forest Service land requires prior written approval from the authorized officer and may trigger environmental review under NEPA.

Violations, Permit Suspension, and Cancellation in Washington

Both federal and state agencies have clear authority to suspend or cancel grazing authorizations for non-compliance. Understanding what triggers enforcement — and how penalties scale — helps you avoid costly mistakes.

Federal Permit Violations

Depending on resource conditions, authorized use might be less than “permitted use.” Both agencies take permit action and apply penalties for non-compliance with permit terms and conditions. BLM permit violations fall into two main categories: non-willful and willful.

For unauthorized grazing — meaning livestock on public land without a valid authorization or outside the terms of your permit — the penalty is based on the value of forage consumed. The value of forage consumed for unauthorized grazing on BLM-administered lands is the average private grazing land lease rate per AUM for the state where the unauthorized grazing occurs. The National Agricultural Statistics Service publishes the state rates annually in January.

For willful violations, the consequences are more severe. Regulation 43 CFR 4150.3 requires that settlement for willful and repeated willful violations include the value of the forage consumed, the value for damages to the public lands and other property of the United States, and all reasonable expenses in detecting, investigating, and resolving violations, including livestock impoundment costs. The BLM determines the latter two amounts on a case-by-case basis.

Subleasing your permit without authorization carries its own penalty: any person found to have violated the subleasing prohibition will be required to pay twice the value of the forage consumed rates for the respective state where the violation occurred, and is subject to other appropriate penalties.

Permit Renewal Conditions

A BLM permit renews only when three conditions are met. The lands for which the permit or lease is issued remain available for domestic livestock grazing; the permittee or lessee is in compliance with the rules and regulations and the terms and conditions in the permit or lease; and the permittee or lessee accepts the terms and conditions to be included by the authorized officer in the new permit or lease. Falling out of compliance on any one of these conditions puts your renewal at risk.

State Trust Land Permit Cancellation

On Washington DNR state lands, the authority to cancel is equally direct. The department may cancel or suspend grazing permits or preferences, in whole or in part, for a violation of the terms of the permit or of these regulations. Common grounds for cancellation include non-payment of fees, overgrazing beyond your authorized AUMs, and failure to maintain required range improvements.

• Always keep copies of your permit, annual grazing authorization, and fee payment receipts on file
• Document any range conditions that might affect your ability to comply with stocking requirements and notify your authorized officer in writing
• If you need to reduce use in a given season, file a written request for temporary nonuse before the grazing period begins — not after the fact
• Report stray livestock to the appropriate agency immediately; self-reporting demonstrates good faith and can reduce penalty severity

Key Insight: Permit suspension and cancellation are not automatic outcomes for a first violation. Most agencies work through an administrative process that includes notice and an opportunity to correct. Responding promptly and cooperating with the authorized officer at the first sign of a compliance issue is always your best course of action.

Navigating public land grazing in Washington requires attention to multiple regulatory layers — federal, state, and agency-specific. By securing the right authorization for the right land, meeting all health and identification requirements before turnout, maintaining your range infrastructure, and staying current on fees, you protect both your livestock operation and your long-term access to Washington’s public rangelands. For more on Washington State wildlife and land management topics, explore our guides on eagles in Washington State and owls in Washington State to better understand the wildlife you will share the range with.