Wild sheep and disease

[appaloosa]

Meanwhile in Wyoming.... The USFS, under heavy pressure form the livestock industry and the state department of ag, is looking to undo decades of work and millions of dollars in financial contributions from groups including the WSF an TU to benefit a handful of sleazy woolgrowers who are bent on gaming the system in their favor... again.

Forest Service moves to weaken bighorn protections in Wyo Range - WyoFile

A rule change could open about 124,000 acres of habitat protected by grazing-allotment buyouts to domestic sheep.

www.wyofile.com

 

[Pucky Freak]

Could someone explain why there is still domestic sheep grazing on public lands in the US in areas historically inhabited by wild sheep, or share a link on this subject? Here are my assumptions on the issue - please correct my misunderstandings.

1. Domestic sheep grazing on public lands provides a minuscule benefit, if any benefit at all, to the US economy, local economies, or provide good jobs to American families.

2. The price if allotments for domestic sheep grazing on public lands do not come anywhere close covering the economic losses incurred by domestic sheep grazing, namely habitat degradation and economic loss due to suppression of wild sheep population numbers.

3. Millions of Americans would like to see many more wild sheep on the landscape in areas historically inhabited by wild sheep. Primary interests include sightseeing, hunting, and biological diversity.

4. The number of Americans desiring domestic sheep grazing on public lands historically inhabited by wild sheep to continue or expand is outnumbered by the persons in #3 above by a factor of 100,000:1, or some similarly ratio.

5. State domestic sheep growers association chapters maintain a powerful control over state legislative bodies, perpetuating a small industry for the benefit a very small number of individuals, at the expense of tens of millions of lost dollars to the statecaused by the absence of wild sheep that could be on the landscape.

What would it take for one western state to:

1. Conduct a study on the economic benefit of putting x100 times more wild sheep on the landscape in their state.

2. Increase the price of domestic sheep grazing allotments on public lands to offset the economic losses incurred by such allotments (effectively ending domestic sheep grazing in these areas).

3. Financially incentivize sheep growers on adjacent private lands within historic wild sheep habitat to phase out their sheep, and/or implement required robust disease testing and immunization for all domestic head in those areas.

 

[Big Fin]

Meanwhile in Wyoming.... The USFS, under heavy pressure form the livestock industry and the state department of ag, is looking to undo decades of work and millions of dollars in financial contributions from groups including the WSF an TU to benefit a handful of sleazy woolgrowers who are bent on gaming the system in their favor... again.

Forest Service moves to weaken bighorn protections in Wyo Range - WyoFile

A rule change could open about 124,000 acres of habitat protected by grazing-allotment buyouts to domestic sheep.

www.wyofile.com

If you are concerned about wild sheep, specifically wild sheep in Wyoming, pay attention to this. The state wildlife agency is about to get rolled by the bigger political machines on this issue.

 

[MTGomer]

Could someone explain why there is still domestic sheep grazing on public lands in the US in areas historically inhabited by wild sheep, or share a link on this subject? Here are my assumptions on the issue - please correct my misunderstandings.

1. Domestic sheep grazing on public lands provides a minuscule benefit, if any benefit at all, to the US economy, local economies, or provide good jobs to American families.

2. The price if allotments for domestic sheep grazing on public lands do not come anywhere close covering the economic losses incurred by domestic sheep grazing, namely habitat degradation and economic loss due to suppression of wild sheep population numbers.

3. Millions of Americans would like to see many more wild sheep on the landscape in areas historically inhabited by wild sheep. Primary interests include sightseeing, hunting, and biological diversity.

4. The number of Americans desiring domestic sheep grazing on public lands historically inhabited by wild sheep to continue or expand is outnumbered by the persons in #3 above by a factor of 100,000:1, or some similarly ratio.

5. State domestic sheep growers association chapters maintain a powerful control over state legislative bodies, perpetuating a small industry for the benefit a very small number of individuals, at the expense of tens of millions of lost dollars to the statecaused by the absence of wild sheep that could be on the landscape.

What would it take for one western state to:

1. Conduct a study on the economic benefit of putting x100 times more wild sheep on the landscape in their state.

2. Increase the price of domestic sheep grazing allotments on public lands to offset the economic losses incurred by such allotments (effectively ending domestic sheep grazing in these areas).

3. Financially incentivize sheep growers on adjacent private lands within historic wild sheep habitat to phase out their sheep, and/or implement required robust disease testing and immunization for all domestic head in those areas.

The more you think about it, the crazier it is.

 

[Oak]

If you are concerned about wild sheep, specifically wild sheep in Wyoming, pay attention to this. The state wildlife agency is about to get rolled by the bigger political machines on this issue.

The state wildlife agency and the conservation organizations involved in the Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Interaction Working Group are largely reaping what they sowed here. They agreed to the following classification for the Darby Herd area:

Bighorn Sheep Non-Emphasis Areas
- These are the lowest priority areas for bighorn sheep management.
- These include the Wyoming, Salt River and Bighorn Ranges on National Forest.
- No effort will be made to prioritize/emphasize bighorn sheep unless agreed to by the statewide Domestic/Bighorn Sheep Interaction/Working Group.
- Any existing bighorn sheep populations will not be protected at the expense of domestic sheep grazing.

Allotment retirements were conducted with the 1990 Forest Plan in place, which preceded adoption of the Wyoming Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Plan. If the Darby Herd was important to wild sheep advocates they needed to ensure that the area was classified as a Cooperative Review area. It should be no surprise that domestic sheep producers are pushing for these areas to be opened back up, but I do believe the Forest Service should recognize the 3rd party agreements that were made. Kevin Khung understands the bighorn/domestic issue well. He closed almost every allotment on the Pagosa RD of the SJNF when he was the District Ranger in 2010.

I have some dear friends in the wild sheep conservation world with whom I have disagreed strongly on the Wyoming Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Plan. I don't support prioritizing bighorn sheep herds while de-emphasizing other herds on federal lands within historical bighorn sheep range. Federal lands will be the last strongholds for wild sheep, and they are are the only lands where we have some control of the management. I'm not going to compromise on those. The previous Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife pushed hard to begin a similar process of creating emphasis and non-emphasis areas in Colorado. We are fortunate that he is gone.

Sidebar: Jim Magagna cashed one of the first checks written for an allotment buyout in Wyoming.

 

[mtnrunner260]

With the FS being a multi use agency for the public what would it take for them to realize that the majority prefer wild sheep to domestic?
A WSF volunteer at each trailhead surveying users of which they'd rather see?

 

[Oak]

You can read the final recommendations that all WY parties agreed to here:
Statewide Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Interaction Working Group

 

[appaloosa]

The state wildlife agency and the conservation organizations involved in the Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Interaction Working Group are largely reaping what they sowed here. They agreed to the following classification for the Darby Herd area:



Allotment retirements were conducted with the 1990 Forest Plan in place, which preceded adoption of the Wyoming Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Plan. If the Darby Herd was important to wild sheep advocates they needed to ensure that the area was classified as a Cooperative Review area. It should be no surprise that domestic sheep producers are pushing for these areas to be opened back up, but I do believe the Forest Service should recognize the 3rd party agreements that were made. Kevin Khung understands the bighorn/domestic issue well. He closed almost every allotment on the Pagosa RD of the SJNF when he was the District Ranger in 2010.

I have some dear friends in the wild sheep conservation world with whom I have disagreed strongly on the Wyoming Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Plan. I don't support prioritizing bighorn sheep herds while de-emphasizing other herds on federal lands within historical bighorn sheep range. Federal lands will be the last strongholds for wild sheep, and they are are the only lands where we have some control of the management. I'm not going to compromise on those. The previous Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife pushed hard to begin a similar process of creating emphasis and non-emphasis areas in Colorado. We are fortunate that he is gone.

Sidebar: Jim Magagna cashed one of the first checks written for an allotment buyout in Wyoming.

Agree with all your points Oak. Sadly, the game and fish is in bed with the stockgrowers thanks to the plan and it's subsequent codification.
I really wish the USFS would take a harder stance on these allotments though. Groups like RMEF, TU and many others didn't fund these buyouts solely to protect bighorn sheep. Many, many species have benefitted from their "retirement", bighorn sheep just happen to be one of them.

 

[Oak]

This is one of the most amazingly accurate statements the agency has made on this topic, and they deserve kudos for it. I admit I took a screenshot of the whole page immediately in case it disappears.

 

[Oak]

Check out this short video from IDFG about their M. ovi. testing program for small flock owners.

 

[kwyeewyk]

Check out this short video from IDFG about their M. ovi. testing program for small flock owners.

Good video, just curious if you or others @neffa3 working on sheep disease issues know about/have access to the GIS risk of contact tool through USGS?

 

[Irrelevant]

Good video, just curious if you or others @neffa3 working on sheep disease issues know about/have access to the GIS risk of contact tool through USGS?

I don't but I don't actually work with the issue, just try to help through our local sportsman's club.

 

[Oak]

Good video, just curious if you or others @neffa3 working on sheep disease issues know about/have access to the GIS risk of contact tool through USGS?

Because of the need to update the ROC Tool every time a new version of ArcMap was released, a project was recently undertaken to develop the Tool in R. That project was funded by BLM, USFS, WSF, and RMBS. The R-based ROC Tool is available at the following link.

Bighorn Sheep Risk of Contact Tool · Wiki · BHS Risk Tool Group / Bighorn Sheep Risk Tool · GitLab

Official Source Code Archive

code.usgs.gov

 

[Oak]

Bacteria ravages bighorn lambs

As of Monday, Ratliff said, ODFW knows of just five lambs from the Lookout Mountain unit that have survived. He said biologists haven’t found any lambs in the Burnt River Canyon herd, although he said those sheep are harder to track due to the terrain.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Bacteria ravages bighorn lambs

“Domestic sheep graze on a public land allotment, overseen by the Bureau of Land Management, in the Lookout Mountain unit, Ratliff said. None of the domestic sheep that graze on that allotment has been tested for the bacteria.”

So dumb.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Just a little side note, I saw a lone half curl Lookout Mt ram from the boat yesterday. I saw some in the same canyon last year. It's about 5 miles north of where they normally range.

 

[Sitkahoyt95]

G

WDFW officials to lethally remove bighorn sheep to prevent a deadly pneumonia outbreak

Cleman Mountain bighorn sheep tests positive for lethal bacteria

Lawsuit filed to prevent disease in bighorn sheep he. Great info thank you

 

[Hammsolo]

Joe Hutto’s research on Big Horn Sheep really intrigues me. I am not an expert on these situations, but Mr. Hutto’s research has been telling. Very long story short is that sheep in the Wind River Range are dying due to lack of Selenium, a critical immune system support mineral. The mineral is being leached out of the mountains by acid rain caused by climate change. Damn complex situations…

I wonder how wide spread this problem is. It killed me watching the sheep die off repeatedly up Lost Creek outside of Anaconda, Montana.

It’s hard to survive with a weakened immune system.

 

[Akcabin]

I have been following this issue for a while. What I see is folks on both sides who know they are right, and want the government to change the rules.
The biggest concern is that it never ends. Get the government to make restrictions, then more restrictions.
Heck how many hunters fishers trappers have you heard say they almost need a lawyer to read the state regulations ?
Organizations hire lobbiests to persuade legislators and produce videos supporting their cause on both sides.
I don't have the answer but more government isn't it. And I don't know many folks who want more government.
I have tried to look at both sides. These types of diseases live a long time n have been here a long time.
And are a serious threat. Just a thought on a solution. Maybe if all the money collected by political action groups by all sides went to science we could get some better information n actually help out.

 

[Fremont15]

Pack goats should be allowed everywhere. The healthy big horns will be just fine. The risk of transmission is astronomically low. Survival of the fittest.