Public Lands Council v. Babbitt

The Taylor Grazing Act authorized the Secretary of the Interior (defendant) to manage livestock grazing permits while safeguarding grazing privileges consistent with the Act's purposes, expressly stating permits create no vested property right; 1995 regulatory revisions redefined "grazing preference" as a priority rather than a fixed number of animal unit months and tied "permitted use" to land-use plans, and ranching organizations (plaintiffs) sued, arguing the changes failed to adequately safeguard their grazing privileges. The district court found some regulations unlawful, and the court of appeals reversed.