---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 1908"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "1908"
heading: "Experimental stewardship program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/1908"
units:
  - "Chapter 37 — Public Rangelands Improvement"
---

# §1908. Experimental stewardship program

- (a) **Scope of program—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1902.md?p=h) of Interior and Agriculture are hereby authorized and directed to develop and implement, on an experimental basis on selected areas of the [public rangelands](/usc/43/1902.md?p=a) which are representative of the broad spectrum of [range conditions](/usc/43/1902.md?p=d), trends, and forage values, a program which provides incentives to, or rewards for, the holders of grazing permits and leases whose stewardship results in an improvement of the [range condition](/usc/43/1902.md?p=d) of lands under permit or lease. Such program shall explore innovative grazing management policies and systems which might provide incentives to improve [range conditions](/usc/43/1902.md?p=d). These may include, but need not be limited to—
  - (1) cooperative range management projects designed to foster a greater degree of cooperation and coordination between the Federal and [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) agencies charged with the management of the [rangelands](/usc/43/1902.md?p=a) and with local private range users,
  - (2) the payment of up to 50 per centum of the amount due the Federal Government from grazing permittees in the form of [range improvement](/usc/43/1902.md?p=f) work,
  - (3) such other incentives as he may deem appropriate.
- (b) **Report to Congress—** No later than December 31, 1985, the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1902.md?p=h) shall report to the Congress the results of such experimental program, their evaluation of the fee established in [section 1905 of this title](/usc/43/1905.md) and other grazing fee options, and their recommendations to implement a grazing fee schedule for the 1986 and subsequent grazing years.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–514, § 12, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1808.)