(July 1, 2008)  Members of the American Sheep Industry Association’s (ASI) Bighorn Task Force met in May to discuss Best Management Practices (BMP) for the management of domestic and bighorn sheep and to propose legislation to clarify the management of bighorn sheep in the states in which they reside.

In early May, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) made the request for BMP to sheep producers while they were participating in the ASI annual trip to Washington, D.C. The requested BMP will serve as a reference for personnel when management issues surface between domestic and bighorn sheep on USFS land.

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) issued a similar document in June of last year. ASI will work to produce a document that highlights what the industry believes best addresses the issues of management in a way that will not legitimize any opponents’ allegation(s).

In addition, ASI and other industry associations sent a letter to members of Congress in June. It stated that one of the most significant threats to the viability of the sheep industry in the Western United States today is from the interaction between bighorn sheep (which are not listed under the Endangered Species Act) and domestic herds and the manner in which the federal lands are managed.

ASI acknowledges the public’s interest in maintaining viable bighorn sheep population, yet the industry also believes that fairness requires public officials to support sheep operations, many that have been in existence over multiple generations.

The organizations requested support for the inclusion of legislation relating to this topic in the mark-up for the Interior Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2009.

States historically have been responsible for managing the wildlife within its boundaries. This responsibility becomes somewhat blurred by the concurrent federal responsibility to manage the habitat. The language being sought would reinforce the historic state responsibility for managing bighorn sheep in those cases where states have developed plans that provide for the support of those populations and for the resolution of conflicts between bighorn and domestic sheep populations.

The signators to the letter include ASI and the Public Lands Council along with the sheep associations from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.