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Committee approves bill to let managers consider cattle grazing on some conservation lands with new safeguards
Summary
HB 1421 would require conservation-land managers to consider grazing as a management tool; an amendment added environmental criteria and protections for native habitat before grazing is approved; the bill passed 20-3 after extensive public testimony for and against.
The State Affairs Committee voted 20-3 to report HB 1421 favorably after debate on whether cattle grazing should be considered on some state conservation lands. Representative Albert, sponsor of the bill, said grazing is an alternative management tool to controlled burns and mowing and could provide revenue while controlling invasive species. An amendment from Representative Cross was adopted to require the managing entity to assess the appropriateness of grazing — including ecological goals, wildlife needs, maximum stocking rates, and water and forage availability — and to prohibit converting native wildlife habitat to improved pasture.
Public testimony split: the Florida Cattlemen's Association and Farm Bureau supported the measure, arguing grazing can help control invasives and reduce smoke from burns; environmental groups and a retired chief biologist for the Florida Park Service urged caution, saying grazing should not be applied on native lands or state parks and that controlled burning has distinct ecological benefits. Committee members repeatedly asked for assurances about water-quality impacts and protections for sensitive areas; the sponsor and amendment author emphasized the amendment's guardrails and exemptions for areas of critical state concern and conservation easements.
The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably, noting the amendment reframes the inquiry from "can we graze?" to "should we graze?"
