Forest service to Wyoming: Bighorn herd in legislative debate isn't a concern

Federal officials aren't concerned about a western Wyoming bighorn sheep herd that has become a point of debate in Cheyenne. Legislators are working to protect Wyoming's domestic sheepherders after a recent U.S. Forest Service action to limit domestic sheep grazing in Idaho's Payette National Forest.  Nora Rasure, U.S. Forest Service regional forester, said state lawmakers have nothing to worry about in a recent letter to Gov. Matt Mead. Concern from both parties rose from a proposal to remove bighorn sheep from the Darby Mountain region near Afton. Rasure said the current bighorn sheep management plan identifies the Darby region's sheep as a "non-emphasis" herd.  "We do not have any current desire to address risks that domestic sheep may represent to that herd," she wrote in the letter to Gov. Mead...more

The Forest Service says they have no current desire to protect bighorns from domestic sheep in the area that has a "non-emphasis" herd.  Future desires may change and "non-emphasis" is just an administrative designation subject to change.  Act now legislature, act now.