Nez Perce Tribe pulling out of bighorn work group

The Nez Perce Tribe is pulling out of Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s collaborative bighorn sheep panel because legislation passed by Idaho lawmakers undermines the process, the tribe’s chairman says. Samuel N. Penney said the legislation ends any collaborative effort and the tribe will no longer take part in the Idaho Bighorn/Domestic Sheep Working Group. The goal of the group – made up of state officials, sheep ranchers, sportsmen and environmental organizations – had been to protect the sheep ranching industry while seeking a way for bighorn sheep to avoid contacting domestic sheep, which have been blamed for spreading deadly diseases to bighorns. But Republican state Sen. Jeff Siddoway, a sheep rancher from Terreton, introduced a series of bills during the last legislative session aimed at protecting sheep producers. Otter signed into law a bill to require the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to work with producers to develop a plan to keep bighorns away from domestic sheep while preserving domestic sheep grazing on federal land. The law requires the plan and methods to be completed by Aug. 6. It also calls for Fish and Game to certify as acceptable any risk of disease transfer to bighorns remaining after the plan is put in place...NativeAmericanTimes