The National Parks Association of Queensland (NPAQ) says new laws will harm the state's parks and reserves.
The State Government has passed legislation allowing graziers to agist drought-stricken cattle in five national parks and eight reserves.
It says many of them were former cattle properties anyway and grazing will help manage invasive species like buffel grass.
The plan has been opposed by green groups and federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.
NPAQ spokesman Paul Donatiu says the cattle will damage the land and affect biodiversity.
"Cattle are responsible for spreading weeds," he said.
"They certainly affect and destroy the habitat of native ground-dwelling animals and they can also do substantial damage to waterways in these parks."
Mr Donatiu says it is short-sighted.
"It's the first time in the living memory of most Queenslanders that cattle have actually been allowed into a national park," he said.
"It would be absolutely disastrous for this precedent to be seen as something that could be expanded to other national parks."
However, Richmond Mayor John Wharton, in the state's north-west, says he would like to see some national parks and state reserves opened up permanently for grazing cattle.
"It's a great idea - it probably should continue into the future but that will be up to the federal and state governments to work that out," he said.
"I think it is very disappointing that the Federal Government came out with that stance.
"Some of those places never should have been locked up, due to the fact that they become infested with weeds, and infested with vermin - cattle should be back in there."
He says current management of parks is not working and there is no doubt the changes will save some cattle from starving.
"They are after natural grass and a lot of national parks are full of grass," he said.
"You can't feed these sorts of numbers hay and there are many, many national parks that are full of weed, full of pigs and dingoes and every other vermin you can poke a stick at.
"Cattle should be back in there because no-one is managing it and there are no rangers on a lot of them."
Land clearing laws
State Parliament has also passed contentious laws removing many of Queensland's land clearing restrictions.
Farmers are now able to assess their own vegetation management activities.
The Government's legislation also removes regrowth regulations and exempts any agriculture projects deemed "high value" from clearing bans.
Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps says the laws strike a balance between conservation and development.
"The benefits from these reforms to Queenslanders, in particular rural landowners and developers, in growing rural communities are clear - more opportunities for economic development and less unnecessary red tape," he said.