Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1144 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1144
Supporting recognition of 2026 as the ``International Year of
Rangelands and Pastoralists''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2026
Ms. Maloy (for herself, Mr. Costa, Mr. Mann, Mr. Evans of Colorado, Ms.
King-Hinds, Mr. Fulcher, Ms. Hageman, and Mr. Grothman) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting recognition of 2026 as the ``International Year of
Rangelands and Pastoralists''.
Whereas rangelands cover up to 770,000,000 acres of land in the United States;
Whereas rangelands include prairies, grasslands, pampas, shrublands, wetlands,
woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, steppes, and tundras inhabited by
grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs that comprise nearly 36
percent of land in the United States;
Whereas rangelands are economically, socially, and culturally vital to human
communities through an array of ecological services, water resources,
biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration and storage,
and provide renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and aesthetic
and recreational opportunities;
Whereas American rangelands are crucial for domestic production of forage, food,
and fiber like beef, lamb, wool, and hides, as more than 50 percent of
the national sheep herd and 60 percent of the Western cattle herd spend
some time on Federal public rangelands;
Whereas rangelands cover over half the terrestrial surface of the globe,
totaling more than 19,800,000,000 acres and supporting nearly
2,000,000,000 people;
Whereas pastoral grazing management decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfire
by up to 60 percent, makes rangelands more diverse and resilient, and
increases biodiversity;
Whereas pastoralists are the ranchers, nomads, and transhumant herders who raise
livestock or semi-domesticated animals as they steward and protect these
rangelands;
Whereas American pastoralists and ranchers have generations of traditional
knowledge in managing these landscapes and use science-based management,
adaptive grazing practices, and emerging information and technologies to
support ecological balance and economic productivity;
Whereas American ranchers and land management stewards work with the Federal
Government to manage 43 percent of the rangelands across the country,
with millions of acres managed as private land on agricultural
operations;
Whereas rangelands and the pastoralists who manage them play a key role in
domestic food security, rural community viability, and ecosystem health
in the United States and worldwide;
Whereas the United Nations, in recognition of the vital nature of rangelands and
the significance of pastoralism to the stewardship and societal benefits
of rangelands, designated 2026 as the ``International Year of Rangelands
and Pastoralists'';
Whereas national, regional, provincial, and local governments around the world
will celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in
2026 through education, research, advertisements, films, and advocacy
efforts that are supportive of rangelands and pastoralists; and
Whereas the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists provides an
opportunity for the United States to highlight the contributions of
pastoralists, ranchers, farmers, scientists, and land managers in the
United States and across the world who work on behalf of multiple-use
and sustainable rangeland management: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports recognizing the ``International Year of
Rangelands and Pastoralists'';
(2) recognizes the economic, social, and ecological
importance of rangelands and the ranchers, farmers, land
managers, pastoralists, and partners who have been caretakers
of the American rangelands for generations; and
(3) encourages Federal agencies, universities, and
organizations across the country to engage in activities that
promote education, research, and outreach related to rangeland
management.
<all>