On September 17, BLM will auction cattle-only grazing units on withdrawn lands in the McGregor Range, between Alamogordo, NM and El Paso, TX, according to a news release issued yesterday.
Results, if published, will provide data on current market values for livestock forage.
Two years ago, some of the parcels fetched $43 per AUM.
The United States shall receive fair market value for the use of public lands and their resources, as specified in §1701(a)(9) of FLPMA, unless otherwise provided by statute.
The fee paid by public-lands ranchers, $1.35 per AUM, falls short of that requirement, and is locked in by §1905 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act, 43 USC 37.
Western Horse Watchers Association 