They said it couldn't happen...

[CampRipleyLF]

Terrible news.....

 

[Dieseldog]

Sucks to hear this. Why those animals area allowed within 100 miles of wild sheep habitat is beyond me. Many thanks to the Farm Bureau...

Probably because peoples ability to earn an income supersedes your privilege of recreation!

 

[MTGomer]

Probably because peoples ability to earn an income supersedes your privilege of recreation!

What is the economic impact to the Alaskan economy of domestic sheep and goat farming? In comparison, what Does Dall sheep and mountain goat hunting bring in, not to mention the tourism value, or the value of healthy native wildlife which cannot be measured in dollars?

 

[JLS]

Probably because peoples ability to earn an income supersedes your privilege of recreation!

Sorry, but this is a strawman argument. The government has long held the ability, justified through case law, that allows them to regulate things that pose a significant risk to the environment.

I don’t have cart Blanche authority to move livestock around without showing they are disease-free from significant risk factors like Brucellodis and West Nile Virus. I could give you example after example of laws pertaining to the environment that put some sort of restriction on “earning a livelihood“ when it poses a significant risk or danger to societal needs as a whole.

 

[Dieseldog]

What is the economic impact to the Alaskan economy of domestic sheep and goat farming? In comparison, what Does Dall sheep and mountain goat hunting bring in, not to mention the tourism value, or the value of healthy native wildlife which cannot be measured in dollars?

edited to erase comments as im not here to get in a fight. Just saying hunting and your recreation doesn't trump everything else. As long as regulations are followed. The chips will fall where they may.

 

[Bambistew]

Earn an income? Hahaha.

How much is a worthless domestic sheep worth? $200? If you're lucky, you might clear $20 a year off one. You have to feed animals here 7-8 months a year. That isn't cheap. I grew up on a sheep ranch and have a good idea of what they are worth. They make just enough money to pay for themselves, unless you have 1000 or more head. The time invested vs return is less than minimum wage. The wool is basically worthless. Costs basically as much to get it off and to market as you make.

There are an estimated 1300 sheep/goats in AK, and about a dozen "viable" farms. The rest are pets. How much income does your dog generate? I know mine cost me about $500 a year or more.

The estimated value of dall sheep is over $40,000,000 per year. It's been studied a couple times. Hunting is about half of that. So they generate a hell of a lot of living wages for people. I would bet the income generated by domestic sheep and goats would he lucky breach $100,000 per year. So yeah I think that dall sheep are worth far more than pest owners pretending to "make a living."

Contrary to your argument, dall sheep "earn a living" for (400-500x?) more people than domestic pest owners.

 

[Dieseldog]

I don't want to see a big die off of sheep either. I want to hunt them in AK someday. My main objective was to the comment of no domestic sheep within 100 miles of wild sheep. Im guessing his comment wasn't just aimed at AK. In the L48 there are a few large sheep ranches just as their are cattle ranches. My point was more aimed at that where people are doing it large scale as a business.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Yes we want all domestics as far away(ideally in Iowa) from all wild sheep as possible, even in the lower 48!

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Starting and/or maintaining a wild sheep herd anywhere near domestic sheep is like lighting a match in a tornado. That really sucks. I am sorry to hear that