Cattle ranchers got a little break from the government this month — grazing fees on public lands were dropped to the lowest amount allowed under federal law. But the Bureau of Land Management says a rancher, on average, will save only about $32 a year. The grazing program costs the federal government far more than it brings in from these fees. And environmentalists say the grazing program has other costs, to the land itself.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUER in Salt Lake City, and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado.