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+--- Thread: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range (/showthread.php?tid=84)
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Saph - 03-26-2014
This does not bode well.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/03/26/3102236/federal-judge-upholds-payette.html?sp=/99/1687/&ihp=1
A federal judge upheld the decision by the Payette National Forest to close 70 percent of the forest to domestic sheep grazing to protect wild bighorn sheep.
U.S. 9th Circuit Judge Wallace Tashima denied a motion by the Idaho Wool Growers Association to overturn the 2010 decision by Payette National Forest Supervisor Suzanne Rainville aimed at separating domestic and bighorn sheep. Tashima ruled the Forest Service had followed the preponderance of evidence that domestic sheep carry diseases to the wild sheep populations.
The dispute began in 2007 when District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered ranchers to move their sheep off of five allotments on the Payette National Forest in Hells Canyon. The Forest Service was ordered to complete an environmental impact statement on sheep grazing in bighorn habitat.
The Wool Growers had used all its political might to try to delay and head off the Forest Service’s decision to close off the domestic sheep habitat, which came out of the EIS. Under pressure from Gov. Butch Otter and lawmakers, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game clarified its policy to kill bighorns if necessary when they mix with domestic sheep.
Three sheep ranchers - the Shirts Brothers, Carlson Co. and the Soulens - were affected by the decision and participated in the lawsuit. The Colorado Wool Growers Association also joined in the lawsuit because it has the most overlap between wild bighorn habitat and domestic sheep.
The Forest Service’s policy of doing a risk assessment of possible contact between domestic and wild sheep is now supported in federal court, said Craig Gehrke, Wilderness Society Idaho representative, who fought for the ruling for years to protect bighorns in the Hells Canyon Recreation Area.
The other area where this could have an impact in Idaho is in the Palisades Mountains and Tetons in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. There, Idaho Republican Sen. Jeff Siddoway and his family have grazed sheep for generations.
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - vigilguy - 04-04-2014
I conversed with our attorney about this today. One thing to realize is that there is lots of data in a pen environment that shows that commingling between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep is pretty ugly...fatal to the bighorn sheep.
Not so when it comes to domestic goats. I spoke with Dr. Foreyt personally about this, and he even told me that there is insufficient data in regards to domestic goats. And what little data there is in a lab setting, the goats and bighorn sheep favor quite well. And it of course would be even better in a range environment.
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - trail goats - 04-04-2014
I have what is probably a dumb question regarding the "penned with domestic goats" experiments that were done.
Where did these goats come from? Was it a closed herd that seemed healthy and had absolutely no prior contact with either domestic or wild sheep in the past?
I know that goats are thought to be "reservoirs" that can pass things from domestic sheep to Bighorn sheep, but I think it's safe to assume that most pack goats don't ever mix with or come in contact with either of the other species.
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Dave-Trinity-Farms - 04-05-2014
Although closely related, most diseases that can pass between sheep and goats have to (cant for the life of me think of the word so will use) mutate / evolve a little bit during the transmission period. Then there are other things like Johnes that targets ruminants and done need to change. Just thought I would toss that bit of info out there
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Dave-Trinity-Farms - 04-05-2014
Would like to give a hats off to Curtis King (Burbank, WA.) He was the only one able to make it to the meeting Friday night concerning the proposed closure of pack goats (and other proposes planning for the Umatilla National Forest). Curtis took the time and effort to prepared a 2+ page response that he read to the panel. (Further details will have to come from Curtis). From what I hear from him, it went very well and even got him into the locale paper. I hope he finds the time to post some of the highlights. Here is his mention in the artical:
The proposed management plan also addresses more separation of domestic sheep and goats from bighorn sheep.
That's a problem for Curtis King of Burbank, who spoke on behalf of the North Amercian Pack goat Association.
Science has not shown that disease is transmitted from packgoats to bighorn sheep, making closing areas to packgoats unjustified, he said. Packgoats are low-impact animals, used by people ranging from Boy Scouts to the elderly to carry tents, stoves and food, he said.
There are less-restrictive alternatives that could be considered to keep the domestic and wild animals from coming in contact with each other, he said.
Curtis King was the one who got me into the pack goats and gave us the push we needed to start selling prospects. His enthusiasm and dedication to pack goating was/is infectious. I for one am not only glad I had the good fortune of meeting him, but that I can now call him friend. Way to go Curtis!
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - vigilguy - 04-05-2014
I spoke with Curtis King this morning about his meeting with the Forest Service. I cannot think of a better ambassador for us than Curtis. His skill at "reading people" and conveying our message in a mature and cordial style is unsurpassed. The Biologist and the Forest Service Supervisor opened up to Curtis, and they seemed willing to talk and to listen.
Curtis did a A+++++ job last night and represented us well!!!!
(04-04-2014, 10:36 PM)trail goats Wrote: I have what is probably a dumb question regarding the "penned with domestic goats" experiments that were done.
Where did these goats come from? Was it a closed herd that seemed healthy and had absolutely no prior contact with either domestic or wild sheep in the past?
I know that goats are thought to be "reservoirs" that can pass things from domestic sheep to Bighorn sheep, but I think it's safe to assume that most pack goats don't ever mix with or come in contact with either of the other species.
As I recall, the goats that were selected were "healthy". As I mentioned, the two studies that have been held that pertain to goats reflected positive, but there has only been two penned experiments in the last 20 years using domestic goats.
Domestic Sheep, on the other hand...there have been numerous penned experiments and they not not gone well for the domestic sheep nor the bighorn sheep. So it does not come as too much as a surprise that the Wool Growers in Idaho lost there case.
Fortunately our goats have a much better track record.
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Nanno - 04-05-2014
Way to to Curtis! I'm glad he was able to say his piece and get a positive response and even some publicity!
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - nebs - 04-05-2014
Way to go Curt!!!
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Saph - 04-05-2014
Thank you so much, Curtis, for attending the Blue Mountain Forest Plan public meeting in Tri-Cities. I won't be able to make the meeting in Ontario OR on April 10th; however, Carl, my "significant other," will attend. He has a great (probably better than I) understanding of the seriousness of this issue. He is retired from the Forest Service so he knows the "lingo," so to speak. I will make sure he gets our points across. I truly believe that our comments can make a difference.
For everyone that can't attend the public meetings--you can still comment on the Proposed Forest Plan. Remember--if you don't comment by June 16, 2014, you have no legal grounds to object to the Forest Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement, once it is released about a year from now.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will keep posting links to the Blue Mountain Forest documents, both here & in other threads.
Here is the link to the documents, and how to comment:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprd3792957
Send electronic comments to:
https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?Project=31195
And here is the "how to comment" link"
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3793222.pdf
Please use the following link, or contact the following individual either by phone or by email and ask to be put on the mailing list for the Forest Plan Revision Newsletter:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5247610
Sabrina Stadler, team leader for Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Team
(541) 523-1264
sdstadler@fs.fed.us
Email: bluemtnplanrevision@fs.fed.us
Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Team
PO Box 907
Baker City, OR 97814
Phone: Public Affairs Office at (541) 523-1246 or (541) 523-1302
Again--I truly believe that our comments can make a difference. Thanks again to Curtis for being a consummate professional and for representing our community with such equanimity--Saph
RE: Pack Goat Ban in the Wind River Range - Nanno - 04-05-2014
Is there a form letter that people can sign and send in? I know there was a form letter for making comments about the Shoshone closures and while it might not be as impactful as a more personal letter, I think they are still better than nothing. A lot of people may not feel that they know the issue well enough to make up an intelligent comment on their own, but they would be happy to put their name on a letter and send it in (people like my parents come to mind). I'd also love to have a stack of them to take with me to the Goat Extravaganza in three weeks. A lot of folks may use the form letter as a simple guide to help them make their own letter comment (that's what I did last time).