Welcome to the second edition of the RANGE newsletter — if you’re new here, we’re working on building our subscription base to the beautiful, quarterly RANGE magazine, and staying more in touch with you in between issues. We hope you’ll share this newsletter with all your friends and family who aren’t yet reading. If you’ve gotten this from a friend and still need to sign up, you can do that here:

The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a nomination hearing on February 25 to consider Stevan Pearce of New Mexico as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management, replacing Tracy Stone-Manning. The committee will also review the nominations of Kyle Haustveit of North Dakota for undersecretary of energy and David LaCerte of Louisiana for another term on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. (ET) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building and will be livestreamed on the committee’s website, with testimony posted as the meeting opens. https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining took up a slate of public lands bills last week, focusing on grazing policy, wildfire mitigation, mineral development, and land management across the West.

Discussion on S. 2787, the Grasslands Grazing Act of 2025, sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso, would give ranchers who graze on National Grasslands the same regulatory treatment as those with U.S. Forest Service or BLM permits—an issue long criticized for creating uncertainty and delays.

Barrasso told the panel that ranchers “deserve to have certainty that their grazing permits will be approved in a timely manner,” arguing that livestock grazing is a proven tool for wildfire prevention and rangeland health.

S. 2787 seeks to close the long-standing gap in how national grassland grazing agreements are handled compared to U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management permits. The bill would fold national grasslands into the same regulatory framework used across the National Forest System, giving ranchers a single, consistent set of rules instead of a separate, less-defined process. Lawmakers say the change is needed to eliminate unnecessary disparities and bring grassland grazing under the same standards already applied to other federal rangelands.

Introduced last fall and now under review by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the measure has a companion bill in the House and support from ranching organizations, including the Association of National Grasslands. Advocates argue that timely, predictable permits are essential for rangeland health, wildfire prevention, and long-term stability for producers who rely on these lands. If enacted, the legislation would streamline administration and reduce bureaucratic delays, offering ranchers greater certainty and alignment with the rest of the federal grazing system.

Rancher Ty Checketts, president of the Association of National Grasslands, testified in support, calling ranchers “the original conservationists” and emphasizing grazing’s role in reducing fuel loads. “Nobody loves the land more than we do. Every day we work to protect the land, to preserve it, to make it better, to make it more sustainable,” said Ty Checketts. “Grazing protects us against wildfires that destroy our local economies and cost millions of dollars each year.”

In addition to S. 2787, the subcommittee heard testimony on more than two dozen bills, including measures affecting mineral withdrawals in the Ruby Mountains, wildfire-risk-reduction grazing, public land conveyances in Nevada, Colorado, and Utah, and Alaska Native community recognition.

This week the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a major round of food purchases, committing up to $263 million to buy dairy, beans, nuts, fruit, and other U.S.-grown commodities for food banks and nutrition programs. Using its Section 32 authority, the department will purchase butter, cheese, milk, chickpeas, dried beans, lentils, pears, pecans, split peas, and walnuts. Secretary Brooke Rollins said the goal is to help stabilize farm income while getting real food into the hands of families, describing the effort as “turning harvests into meals.” These purchases support long-standing programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program and help move commodities at a time when prices are softening.

In addition, the USDA released several updates that will shape the 2026 farm economy. The agency launched an $11 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program to provide one-time payments to row-crop producers, opened enrollment for the 2026 CRP and Grassland CRP, and issued final Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments for 2023–24 drought, flood, and wildfire losses. Economists project a $24.3 billion drop in inflation-adjusted cash receipts this year, driven by lower livestock and crop income. USDA is also rolling out additional tools—improved whole-farm insurance options, removal of the organic surcharge, and new technology initiatives through NIFA—to help producers manage tighter margins.

Last week, USDA also unveiled a new initiative aimed at protecting farmers and ranchers from what officials describe as politically motivated enforcement actions. Secretary Rollins introduced the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework, a four-pillar plan focused on protecting producers, preserving private property, removing unnecessary regulations, and strengthening partnerships across federal and state agencies. The announcement included support from HUD Secretary Scott Turner, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Rep. James Comer, and families involved in high-profile land and regulatory disputes. USDA has also launched a reporting portal at USDA.gov/lawfare.

Rollins highlighted several recent interventions under this effort, including stopping an eminent-domain action on a 175-year-old New Jersey farm, ending a federal criminal case tied to a simple land boundary dispute, and working with Tennessee stakeholders to prevent the loss of productive farmland. According to USDA, these actions are intended to bring more certainty for producers, lower regulatory costs, and ensure rural communities are fully considered in federal decision-making. 

NCBA Young Cattlemen’s Conference — attend this premier leadership experience May 28 - June 4, 2026, designed to develop the next generation of beef industry advocates. YCC offers emerging leaders a rare, behind‑the‑scenes look at every segment of the beef supply chain, from ranch to rail to retail, while building lifelong connections with producers from across the country. Return home with fresh insight, stronger leadership skills, and a renewed commitment to the future of our industry. Find out more at www.ncba.org/events/young-cattlemens-conference

Learning from CJ, we published our first two books last summer, and you can get them from our store in Fallon, Great Basin Trading Co., or the website at www.GreatBasinTrading.com — just look for the local authors collection.

“Shadows in the Sagebrush” by Larry Neel, who was a biologist at the Nevada Department of Wildlife for over 30 years. His beautiful photographs and endearing vignettes tell a story of the birds and mammals of the Great Basin. You will really enjoy this beautiful collection and can order it here:

Joe Dahl has spent a lifetime ranching, playing polo, and training useful, talented horses. His book, “Horse Stories,” is an entertaining, fireside collection of some of the good horses he’s known and enjoyed through the years. Highly entertaining.

Your contribution to the RANGE Community Foundation is more important than ever. America is changing and our real producers — ranchers, farmers, loggers, and miners — are suffering. We cannot live without them.

RCF exists to strengthen rural communities and the American West through education, independent journalism, and the preservation of working-land culture.

The Foundation supports and advances public-interest reporting, long-form storytelling, and educational initiatives that promote civic understanding, historical awareness, and informed public discourse. Through grants, publications, partnerships, and community programs, the Foundation works to ensure that accurate, firsthand reporting from rural and natural-resource-based communities remains accessible to the public.

Through the Foundation, RANGE will publish books and educational materials; distribute magazines, books, and reporting resources to schools, libraries, medical offices, and public officials; and support investigative, cultural, and historical journalism projects that serve local communities. We will host annual gatherings, forums, and educational events designed to foster dialogue, strengthen community ties, and elevate understanding of land stewardship, agriculture, natural resources, and rural civic life.

By increasing access to credible information and preserving the stories of those who live and work on the land, the Foundation aims to promote long-term community resilience.

The RANGE Community Foundation operates exclusively for charitable and educational purposes and is committed to responsible stewardship, nonpartisan engagement, and the enduring value of independent journalism. Send your contribution to RANGE Community Foundation at 169 E. Center, Fallon, NV 89406, or you can call 1-800-RANGE4U to give a contribution over the phone.