(a) Unless otherwise specified by the Chief, Forest Service, all grazing and livestock use on National Forest System lands and on other lands under Forest Service control must be authorized by a grazing or livestock use permit.
(b) Grazing permits and livestock use permits convey no right, title, or interest held by the United States in any lands or resources.
(c) The Chief, Forest Service, is authorized to issue permits for livestock grazing and other use by livestock of the National Forest System and on other lands under Forest Service control as follows:
(1) Grazing permits with priority for renewal may be issued as follows: On National Forests in the 16 contiguous western States 10-year term permits will be issued unless the land is pending disposal, or will be devoted to other uses prior to the end of ten years, or it will be in the best interest of sound land management to specify a shorter term. On National Forest System lands other than National Forests in the 16 contiguous western States, the permit term shall be for periods of 10 years or less. Term grazing permits for periods of 10 years or less in the form of grazing agreements may be issued to cooperative grazing associations or similar organizations incorporated or otherwise established pursuant to State law. Such an agreement will make National Forest System lands and improvements available to the association for grazing in accordance with provisions of the grazing agreement and Forest Service policies. Term permits authorized in this paragraph may be in the form of private land or on-and-off grazing permits where the person is qualified to hold such permits under provisions the Chief may require. Permits issued under this paragraph are subject to the following:
(i) Except as provided for by the Chief, Forest Service, paid term permits will be issued to persons who own livestock to be grazed and such base property as may be required, provided the land is determined to be available for grazing purposes by the Chief, Forest Service, and the capacity exists to graze specified numbers of animals.
(ii) A term permit holder has first priority for receipt of a new permit at the end of the term period provided he has fully complied with the terms and conditions of the expiring permit.
(iii) In order to update terms and conditions, term permits may be cancelled at the end of the calendar year of the midyear of the decade (1985, 1995, etc.), provided they are reissued to the existing permit holder for a new term of 10 years.
(iv) New term permits may be issued to the purchaser of a permittee's permitted livestock and/or base property, provided the permittee waives his term permit to the United States and provided the purchaser is otherwise eligible and qualified.
(v) If the permittee chooses to dispose of all or part of his base property or permitted livestock (not under approved nonuse) but does not choose to waive his term permit, the Forest Supervisor will give written notice that he no longer is qualified to hold a permit, provided he is given up to one year to reestablish his qualifications before cancellation action is final.
(vi) The Chief, Forest Service, shall prescribe provisions and requirements under which term permits will be issued, renewed, and administered, including:
(A) The amount and character of base property and livestock the permit holder shall be required to own.
(B) Specifying the period of the year the base property shall be capable of supporting permitted livestock.
(C) Acquisition of base property and/or permitted livestock.
(D) Conditions for the approval of nonuse of permit for specified periods.
(E) Upper and special limits governing the total number of livestock for which a person is entitled to hold a permit.
(F) Conditions whereby waiver of grazing privileges may be confirmed and new applicants recognized.
(2) Permits with no priority for reissuance, subject to terms and conditions as the Chief, Forest Service, may prescribe, are authorized as follows:
(i) Temporary grazing permits for periods not to exceed one year, and on a charge basis, may be issued:
(A) To allow for use of range while a term grazing permit is held in suspension.
(B) To use forage created by unusually favorable climatic conditions.
(C) To use the forage available when the permit of the normal user's livestock is in nonuse status for reasons of personal convenience.
(D) To allow a person to continue to graze livestock for the remainder of the grazing season where base property has been sold, the permit waived, and a new term permit issued.
(E) To allow grazing use in the event of drought or other emergency of National or Regional scope where such use would not result in permanent resource damage.
(ii) Livestock use permits for not to exceed one year may be issued under terms and conditions prescribed by the Chief, Forest Service, as follows:
(A) Paid permits for transportation livestock to persons engaged in commercial packing, dude ranching, or other commercial enterprises which involve transportation livestock including mining, ranching, and logging, activities.
(B) Paid or free permits for research purposes and administrative studies.
(C) Paid or free permits to trail livestock across National Forest System lands.
(D) Free permits to persons who reside on ranch or agricultural lands within or contiguous to National Forest System lands for not to exceed 10 head of livestock owned or kept and whose products are consumed or whose services are used directly by the family of the resident, and who distinctly need such National Forest System lands to support such animals.
(E) Free permits to campers and travelers for the livestock actually used during the period of occupancy. This may be authorized without written permit.
(F) Paid or free permits for horses, mules, or burros to persons who clearly need National Forest System land to support the management of permitted livestock.
(G) Free permits for horses, mules, or burros to cooperators who clearly need National Forest System land to support research, administration or other work being conducted. This may be authorized without written permit.
(H) Paid permits to holders of grazing permits for breeding animals used to service livestock permitted to graze on lands administered by the Forest Service.
(I) Paid permits or cooperative agreements entered into as a management tool to manipulate revegetation on a given parcel of land.
[42 FR 56732, Oct. 28, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 27532, June 26, 1978; 44 FR 61345, Oct. 25, 1979; 46 FR 42449, Aug. 21, 1981]