Voluntary grazing permit buyout, as proposed in the Multiple-Use Conflict Resolution Act (H.R. 3166), is neither revolutionary or even new, but simply another application of the tried-and-true concept of voluntary government buyout.

The federal government has often used voluntary buyouts to resolve over-employment in various economic sectors; re-settle communities away from floodplains and hurricane zones; and address overcapacity and resource depletion in agricultural and natural resource industries.

Following are a few prominent and recent examples of federally authorized and funded buyout programs:

• Northeast Bottom Fishing Permit Buyout
  
  
• West Coast Fishing Fleet Buyout
  
  
• Tobacco Quota Buyout ($9.6 billion) (1)
  
  
• Peanut Quota Buyout ($4 billion) (2)
  
  
• Federal Government Employee Buyout
  
  
• Flood-Prone Residences Buyout

In each case, the above buyout programs were crafted to fit the unique circumstances of each target constituency.