Grazing Permit Renewal Information
Of the 261 million acres of surface land administered by the BLM, 160 million acres are authorized for livestock grazing as part of the BLM’s multiple-use mandate. The goal of the rangeland management program is to create sustainable, working landscapes that are economically sound and ecologically healthy.
Ranching families have played a key role in the history and development of the American West and are important to the economic vitality and quality of life for eastern Nevada communities. In addition, the rancher increasingly plays an important role in protecting open space in areas of increasing population growth.
There are 242 livestock grazing allotments within the Ely District. The Ely District administers 226 of the allotments. The Ely Field Office administers 143 allotments and the Caliente Field Station administers 83 allotments. Other BLM districts in Nevada administer eleven allotments, and the BLM St. George Field Office, in St. George, Utah, administers one allotment.
Today, 139 livestock permittees hold term permits authorizing grazing on public lands administered by the Ely District. Ten of the permittees are sheep operators and 129 are cattle operators.
Ely District range staff has responsibility for issuing grazing permits to the permittees, billing for grazing use on public lands, assessing and mitigating the impacts of livestock grazing on land health, overseeing the installation and maintenance of range improvements and monitoring livestock use to insure compliance with grazing rules and regulations. The range program also provides support and input to other programs in the office such as mining, realty and noxious weed control.
