Idaho rancher fights for livelihood

A rancher from Weiser who blames grazing restrictions designed to protect bighorn sheep for blocking his own access to public grazing lands is asking state lawmakers for help. Sheep rancher Ron Shirts told the Idaho Senate Resources and Environment Committee on Monday that restrictions on domestic sheep grazing in the Payette National Forest have caused 60 percent of his grazing area to be closed. The restrictions were put in place to stem potential disease transmission between domestic and bighorn sheep. The federal government began reintroducing bighorn sheep to Idaho in 1997. Shirts asked the committee to help him preserve a way of life for his three small children. Shirts, one of the last domestic sheep operators in southern Idaho, is fighting for access to public grazing lands that have been taken away to protect bighorn sheep in the Hells Canyon area. "It gives me hope to be here so we can let people hear our story and let people understand the hardship and what's happened in this situation, because this should not happen in America," said Shirts, holding his 18-month-old daughter, Ellie. "I make an agreement. I live by that agreement." He referred to a 1997 agreement signed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, among others, that allowed for the reintroduction of bighorn sheep into the region. The agreement, codified by the Legislature that year, declared "the potential risk, if any, of disease transmission and loss of bighorn sheep when the same invade domestic livestock or sheep operations is accepted.".

Payette forest planner Pattie Soucek, 53, said the 1997 agreement does not legally apply to the Payette Forest. Using the 1997 letter to set grazing standards in the forest would be a violation of several federal laws, including the National Forest Management Act....Well then, why did the FS sign the MOU? I'd be willing to bet the FS initiated the MOU. Let all states take notice: You can sign a MOU with the FS, you can have your state legislature codify the MOU, and it means nothing.

More restrictions on domestic sheep in the Payette National Forest could be on their way. The public has until March 3 to comment on a Forest Service proposal on how to protect bighorn sheep. U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Laura Pramuk said the plan has 12 alternatives ranging from no grazing in the forest to no change in the current plan...Notice the only way grazing can go is down. Twelve alternatives and not one of them looks at an increase in grazing. Let's say an opportunity arose to increase permitted numbers by 5 percent. Wouldn't you want to know the impact of that on the resource, the local economy and the bighorn sheep? Is it because the FS doesn't want a public airing of that kind of analysis or is it because everybody knows the FS will never increase grazing, bighorn sheep or no bighorn sheep?.

Last February, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, under pressure from Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, instituted a policy to move or kill bighorn sheep when they mix with domestic sheep. I'll bet there was no MOU on that policy. Way to go Governor Otter. I wish more governors had your...er...strong commitment to sound public policy.