Forest Service To Cut Grazing, Implement Bighorn Sheep Plan in Utah

The bighorn management framework of Region 4 of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is now being implemented in Utah. Utah sheep producers have been informed of the agency's decision to close and reduce sheep grazing allotments by 2017 due to bighorn management. The consequences of the forest service's decision for the ranchers will range from a complete loss of two allotments and drastically reduced grazing days on additional allotments to the loss of other allotments due to "risk of contact" between domestic and bighorn sheep. According to American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick, "The forest service announced last year that they were implementing a plan for bighorn sheep that was developed in cooperation with the Western Watersheds Project, an anti-livestock grazing group. The plan removes domestic sheep from grazing allotments to keep the two species - domestic and bighorn sheep - separate. The 'occupied bighorn habitat' impacts 7 percent to 10 percent of the nation's domestic sheep. In 'potential habitat,' over 20 percent of the industry is threatened. Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming are in Region 4 of USFS along with Utah." "As feared, the agency announced closure of grazing with no offer of alternative grazing for the sheep rancher," continued Orwick. "Western sheep ranches were built decades ago on the basis of high country grazing in the summer and, if these allotments are not replaced, where do they go with thousands of ewes and lambs? Under a similar scenario on the Payette Forest in Idaho several years ago, thousands of animals were sold and ranches went out of business."...more