During the era of homesteading, western public rangelands were often overgrazed because of policies designed to promote the settlement of the West and a lack of understanding of arid ecosystems. In response to requests from western ranchers, Congress passed the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, which led to the creation of grazing districts in which grazing use was apportioned and regulated. Under the Taylor Grazing Act, the first grazing district to be established was Wyoming Grazing District Number 1 on March 23, 1935. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes created a Division of Grazing within the Department of Interior to administer the grazing districts; this division later became the U.S. Grazing Service and was headquartered in Salt Lake City. In 1946, as a result of government reorganization by the Truman Administration, the Grazing Service was merged with the General Land Office to become the Bureau of Land Management.

The unregulated grazing that took place before enactment of the Taylor Grazing Act caused damage to soil, plants, streams, and springs in some places. As a result, grazing management after enactment was initially designed to increase productivity and reduce soil erosion by controlling grazing through fencing and water projects and by conducting forage surveys to balance forage demands with the land’s productivity (“carrying capacity”).

These initial improvements in livestock management, which arrested the degradation of public rangelands while improving watersheds, were appropriate for the times. However, by the 1960s and 1970s, public appreciation for public lands and expectations for their management rose to a new level, as made clear by passage of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Consequently, the BLM moved from managing grazing in general to better manage and protect specific rangeland resources and other multiple-use resources, such as riparian areas, threatened and endangered species, sensitive plant species, and cultural and historical objects. Consistent with this enhanced role, the Bureau developed or modified the terms and conditions of grazing permits and leases and implemented new range projects to address these specific resource issues or promote continued improvement of public rangeland conditions.