In 2008 a moose was discovered in the Star Valley that suffered from both Chronic Wasting Disease and a carotid artery worm, Elaeophora schneideri. It now turns out that up to 50% of the population may have the worm but the true extent of the effects are unknown. The worm is transmitted by the bite of a horsefly which tend to do well under hot and dry conditions.
Worm infests area Moose
Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Idaho Elk License Plate
Other states require testing of 100% of each private elk herd but the Idaho Legislature is requiring much less from Idaho’s elk growers and slipping money away from funds intended for the enhancement of wildlife. Idaho Senate Bill 1085 would require testing of “not more than twenty percent (20%) of testable animals” leaving elk, deer, moose, and other ungulates at risk of contracting chronic wasting disease, brucellosis or other diseases.
In Montana, citizens even passed an initiative making private elk operations illegal out of the well-founded fear that these operations would transmit chronic wasting disease to wild elk and deer.
Proceeds from elk license plates pay for testing private elk herds
Rocky Barker Voices.IdahoStatesman.com.
Ely Sheep Grazing Allotments. The orange polygons represent bighorn sheep distribution and the red polygon represents the Warm Springs sheep trail. Click for larger view.
For the last several years I have been appealing grazing decision issued by the Ely District of the BLM and, over and over again, the District only considers alternatives which maintain the status quo even when they have identified problems on the allotments that are either caused by or exacerbated by livestock grazing.
The decision that was overturned and remanded back to the Ely District was for sheep grazing on 8 allotments encompassing 1.3 million acres of the Egan Field Office. In their decision the BLM only considered two alternatives, one which would have renewed the previous 10-year decision without any changes; and one which would have renewed the permit with very minor changes in seasonal use, and placed very weak utilization standards on different components of the vegetation but kept the exact same number of grazing AUMs. They didn’t consider a no grazing alternative or an alternative which would have reduced grazing levels at all.
Chronic wasting disease is spreading more and more widely. Our anti-conservation friends in the Department of Livestock and the various anti-wolf groups worry about brucellosis and dog tapeworms, but here is something that would be truly terrifying. Prions jumped from sheep probably to cows to cause “mad cow disease.” Then it jumped to humans. Scientists worry the same could happen to the prions that destroy the brains of deer, elk, and moose and remain in the soil, infectious, for so long it might as well be forever.
Deer prions could jump, study says. Scientists fear chronic wasting disease protein could spawn new human illness. By John Fauber of the Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
Other than the study itself, this is the first time that I’ve heard Dr. Srikmaran talk about last year’s study which confirms that domestic sheep diseases kill bighorn sheep.
“I am not that happy about this finding. Some people’s livelihood depends on domestic sheep,” [But the] “organisms did not exist anywhere else. They could only come from one place, the domestic sheep.” – Dr. Subramaniam Srikmaran
Some people who support the sheep industry have made misrepresentations of what the study actually says. They say that “these data show that even extended fence line contact of 2 months didn’t lead to disease and death. Disease required co-mingling for a minimum of 48 hours and this was after transmission had already occurred in three of the bighorn sheep.”
I’ve had the chance to read the study and, in fact, it does not say that it took two days of commingling to produce disease. It says that one of the sheep died within two days of the beginning of commingling portion of the experiment. All four of the bighorn sheep, even the one which did not contract M. haemolytica during the fenceline portion of the study died within 9 days of the beginning of the commingling portion of the study. There is no evidence to support the claim that “disease required co-mingling for a minimum of 48 hours”.
The culprit is almost entirely pneumonia, and almost all of it, maybe all of it, comes from domestic sheep and goats. The Western Watersheds Project, and closely related groups like Advocates for the West, are just about the only organizations that are willing to step forward, tell the truth, and go after the offending herds of livestock. I hope folks will consider and give WWP and Advocates a donation if the appalling death tool of bighorn sheep in the West bothers you. Ralph Maughan
Western Washington’s bighorns slammed by disease. Outdoors Blog. The Spokesman Review.
– – – – –
Related Dec. 31. Bighorn sheep killed on Montana highway one. AP (in Great Falls Tribune). I remember posting an almost identical story for the same place a couple years ago. Some money needs to be spent at this location. “a state wildlife biologist says between four to 15 of the animals are killed every year [at this location]*
The last week has been filled with many stories about brucellosis and its impacts on wildlife and livestock.
First, Montana has announced plans to capture and test elk for brucellosis then place radio collars on those females that test positive to see where they go and where they give birth.
Montana plans to capture 500 elk for disease testing.
By MATTHEW BROWN – The Associated Press
This comes at the same time that cattle in Wyoming have tested positive for brucellosis which has caused the state to implement wider testing to determine if there are other cases nearby.
Cows in Park County cattle herd test positive for brucellosis exposure.
By JEFF GEARINO – Star-Tribune staff writer
Wyoming plans to test up to 3,000 cattle.
Associated Press
On top of all of this news come reports that domestic bison on Ted Turner’s Flying D ranch have tested positive for the disease. These are not the bison from the Yellowstone quarantine program.
Brucellosis Found in Domestic Bison Herd.
Montana Department of Livestock
Brucellosis Found In Domestic Bison Near Bozeman.
cbs4denver.com
In response to the infections of brucellosis in previous years the state of Montana implemented a plan which called for increased surveillance in counties which surround Yellowstone National Park in an effort to spare the entire state of losing its brucellosis free status in the event that further infections occur.
Livestock officials set meetings on brucellosis rule
The Belgrade News
All too often, when infections are found, officials blame elk before there is any evidence to support the claim. While it may be likely that elk are behind these incidents it is important to investigate other sources in an effort to determine whether other cattle may be the source as well.
One thing has been determined with regard to past incidents, bison are not to blame.
I don’t know if this is a strange result of evolution or due to deliberate breeding, but it is shocking.
Sheep Study Finds an Upside to a Weak Immune System. New York Times.
When the chestnut blight hit in the 1950s, there were probably 3 billion American chestnut trees in the United States. Now there are perhaps only about a hundred trees in its natural range. The demise of the chestnut was a blow to wildlife that ate their prolific and reliable nut crop. The current die off of whitebark pine from a blight and bark beetles is a more recent catastrope.
There is now good news for the return of the American chestnut, The mighty American chestnut tree, poised for a comeback. By Juliet Elperin. Washington Post. Of course, it will take a hundred years for a widespread restoration, one that will have big ecological benefits.
The American chestnut’s blight resistance was created by crossing it with the highly resistant Chinese chestnut in way that retained essentially all the details of the American chestnut. Perhaps a similar restoration can be done for the whitebark pine, although I suppose the preferred method might be direct genetic manipulation of survivors because of a lack of closely related pines.
I think we will need more and more genetic science to keep our ecosystems from unravelling in this rapidly changing world.
In so many ways the issue of brucellosis in bison and elk is similar to the issue of domestic sheep diseases and bighorn except the rationalization for killing wildlife is just the opposite.
We now know that domestic sheep are responsible for disease issues in bighorn sheep and those who support the livestock industry want to simply deny it and continue to allow domestic sheep to use areas where there is an obvious conflict and to kill bighorn sheep if the “invade” the sacred domestic sheep allotments.
With bison the same argument is turned on its head so that bison are routinely hazed and slaughtered for being on the sacred landscape of the holy cow. Forget that there is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that bison are a truly a risk to cattle that are not even on the landscape when bison are capable of transmitting brucellosis. The bison must be tortured and killed so that the sacred cow can eat the grass that those pesky beasts are eating.
Well, now comes evidence to show that bison another species, elk, have been the culprit in spreading brucellosis to the sacred cow. Are we now going to see a new war waged against them? Forget that brucellosis came from domestic livestock in the first place. Something must be done to protect the kings and queens of the West and the taxpayer must fork over millions upon millions of dollars for a pointless and impossible eradication exercise so that the livestock industry won’t ever have to face any adversity.
Think it won’t happen? Well, it has already begun and the livestock industry will use this new study to rationalize it and to rationalize continuation of their bison policies as well.
DNA Tests Indicate Yellowstone National Park Elk, Not Bison, Most Likely To Spread Brucellosis.
Kurt Repanshek – National Parks Traveler
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
This is another exposé about the fallout of the Payette bighorn viability decision and the latest science which conclusively shows that domestic sheep diseases kill bighorn sheep. What jumps out at me is the information contained near the bottom of the article which says that the BLM is evaluating its policy regarding the two species in Idaho.
“BLM spokeswoman Jessica Gardetto said her agency is working statewide with agencies and grazing permittees on regional separation response plans, but has no timeline for their completion. Biologists are using a 30-mile separation as a guide and will review grazing allotments within that distance first.”
The bigger question here regards what is happening elsewhere. Are the BLM and Forest Service reviewing their sheep grazing permits in other states? I should hope so because, in places like Nevada, where sheep grazing routinely occurs extremely close to, or within, occupied bighorn habitat, the risk of exposure is extremely high and underestimated by the agencies in favor of the “custom and culture” of the elite ranchers who often turn out to be big corporations like Barrick Gold or the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bighorn sheep in the Salmon River Canyon of Idaho © Ken Cole
Across the West domestic sheep operations threaten the viability of bighorn sheep populations and have caused serious declines because of the diseases they carry. Last winter there were ten populations that suffered from pneumonia outbreaks and many more are suffering the lingering effects of previous outbreaks which reduces lamb survival to very low levels for many years after the initial outbreak.
In Hell’s Canyon bighorn sheep are only a small fraction of the estimated 10,000 capacity. These sheep have faced a declining population because the lamb survival is too low to replace the adults that die of other causes. The Salmon River Canyon and Central Idaho herds have faced many of these same issues but they are the last remaining native bighorn in the state.
Western Watersheds Project has been working very hard to get the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to develop scientifically based policies which would effectively keep bighorn sheep from ever coming into contact with domestic sheep. Unfortunately political interference by the woolgrowers and politicians has prevented the agencies from tackling this issue head on. Recently, though, the Payette National Forest decided to close about 70% of the sheep grazing area due to concerns of disease. This is one of the first cracks in the armor of the oligarchical system which holds great political sway but provides little, if any, economic benefit to the public for the subsidies it provides.
The Payette Bighorn Sheep Viability Decision has been appealed by Western Watersheds Project; the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife; the Nez Perce Tribe with other groups; and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation primarily because it implements the decision gradually over a period of three years rather making the closures all at once. The Idaho Woolgrowers Association et. al.; Soulen Livestock Company; Frank Shirts Jr., Shirts Brothers Sheep, & Ronald and Leslie Shirts have all appealed the decision because it threatens their interests. One glaring absence is the Idaho Department of Fish and Game who recently issued a Draft Bighorn Sheep Management Plan which essentially maintains the status quo because it feels it has no power to influence the decisions of the Federal land management agencies. This would be an incorrect assumption if it weren’t for the political interference of the small but politically powerful group of woolgrowers on the legislature.
Hells Canyon Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
A new study in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases confirms, unequivocally, that the domestic sheep disease Mannheimia haemolytica kills bighorn sheep after the two species co-mingle. This paper has been rumored for the last several months and was cited in the recent Payette National Forest decision to close 60% of sheep grazing allotments on the Forest.
Surely this should end the discussion among reasonable people about whether science supports the notion that domestic sheep and bighorn sheep can co-exsist. They cannot and actions must be taken by Federal and State agencies to make sure that the two species do not overlap on the landscape.
ABSTRACT: Previous studies demonstrated that bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) died of pneumonia when commingled with domestic sheep (Ovis aries) but did not conclusively prove that the responsible pathogens were transmitted from domestic to bighorn sheep. The objective of this study was to determine, unambiguously, whether Mannheimia haemolytica can be transmitted from domestic to bighorn sheep when they commingle. Four isolates of M. haemolytica were obtained from the pharynx of two of four domestic sheep and tagged with a plasmid carrying the genes for green fluorescent protein (GFP) and ampicillin resistance (APR). Four domestic sheep, colonized with the tagged bacteria, were kept about 10 m apart from four bighorn sheep for 1 mo with no clinical signs of pneumonia observed in the bighorn sheep during that period. The domestic and bighorn sheep were then allowed to have fence-line contact for 2 mo. During that period, three bighorn sheep acquired the tagged bacteria from the domestic sheep. At the end of the 2 mo of fence-line contact, the animals were allowed to commingle. All four bighorn sheep died 2 days to 9 days following commingling. The lungs from all four bighorn sheep showed gross and histopathologic lesions characteristic of M. haemolytica pneumonia. Tagged M. haemolytica were isolated from all four bighorn sheep, as confirmed by growth in ampicillin-containing culture medium, PCR-amplification of genes encoding GFP and ApR, and immunofluorescent staining of GFP. These results unequivocally demonstrate transmission of M. haemolytica from domestic to bighorn sheep, resulting in pneumonia and death of bighorn sheep.
I posted this at the end of August. It’s time to get your comments in.
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has released its Draft Bighorn Sheep Management Plan which essentially draws lines around existing bighorn sheep populations and prevents recovery to historical habitat. This is a big problem because the bighorn population has been in steep decline due to diseases spread by domestic sheep.
A population that recovered from over hunting and disease in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s started to increase after hunting regulations and reintroductions took place but the recovery was short lived and now the native and reintroduced populations have suffered from repeated contact with diseased domestic sheep and goats. The population numbered around 5000 in the 1990’s but is now about 2900 and continuing to decline.
Two areas, the Pioneer Mountains west of Mackay, and the Palisades east of Idaho Falls, are areas where dispersing sheep are commonly seen. Under this plan these areas have been essentially written off due to the presence of Federal sheep grazing allotments. Another area that isn’t included as a priority area for sheep recovery is the Sawtooths and the Boise and Payette drainages. These areas contain very suitable habitat yet there are domestic sheep allotments there as well.
The Management Plan is not likely to curb the declines in bighorn sheep populations and the IDFG is afraid to advocate for bighorn sheep conservation. They hold the power to really make the Federal agencies pay attention and close sheep grazing allotments but the IDFG is a captured agency that depends on the good graces of the livestock industry dominated legislature.
Comment on the Bighorn Sheep Management Plan.
The Comment Period Ends September 30, 2010.
Read the rest of this entry »
After wildlife officials killed many bighorn sheep last winter, in the Yakima River Canyon, to prevent the spread of deadly pneumonia, the outbreak continues to kill most of the newborn lambs.
Deadly illness spreading among bighorn sheep .
Seattle Times
The US Forest Service and the National Park Service are violating the law by not allowing bison the use of public lands. The grazing allotments provide the excuse the Montana Department of Livestock wants for their annual abuse of buffalo inside and outside of Yellowstone National Park.
Keep in mind, this issue has nothing to do with brucellosis, it is about political control of western lands and wildlife and about who gets to use the grass. It has always been about the noble landed elite showing the rest of us who is boss.
In the winter and spring of 2007-2008, the National Park Service “oversaw and carried out the slaughter of approximately 1,434 bison from (Yellowstone National Park), which represented approximately one third of the existing population of wild bison in the (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem),” the group wrote in their complaint. “Such management, and ongoing commitment of NPS resources, severely restricts wild bison migrations, impacts their natural behaviors, maintains bison populations at artificially low numbers and negatively influences the evolutionary potential of bison as a wildlife species in the ecosystem.”
Hearing over hazing set for Tuesday.
Eve Byron – Helena Independent Record
Domestic sheep spread deadly disease to wild bighorn sheep
It’s been a bad year for bighorn sheep in Montana.
Spread of Bighorn Sheep Pneumonia Continues – New West
While we see an increasing amount of media attention that bighorns are dying of disease, unfortunately, with this article, there is a familiar omission of context regarding a likely source of disease for bighorns in general; namely, domestic sheep.
This is worth pointing out over and over again, as it has significant policy implications.
Earlier, Ken Cole put together a comprehensive illustration of a WAFWA report that summarizes bighorn outbreaks this past year. It’s worth looking at.
Bighorn Sheep lambs © Ken Cole
After last winter’s disastrous die-off of bighorn sheep in Montana, Utah, Nevada, and Washington State it seemed the news couldn’t get any worse for bighorn sheep. Well, today comes news of another outbreak of pneumonia in a heard of 100 bighorn sheep east of Hamilton, Montana. Officials have shot 8 of the sheep and have found at least 5 were suffering from pneumonia.
Pneumonia found in 5 bighorn sheep near Hamilton.
KULR-8 News
More Pneumonia Discovered in Montana’s Bighorn Sheep Population
New West
Hells Canyon Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
Bighorn sheep, which have struggled with disease outbreaks caused by contact with domestic sheep, in Hells Canyon and the Salmon River Canyon will be affected by the decision. There are estimated to be approximately 1,000 California Bighorn Sheep and 1,800 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in Idaho and only 700 of those are native Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep which live in central Idaho. This is approximately half of the population that existed in the late 90’s and trends indicate further declines.
Of greatest concern to the bighorn populations in Idaho is contact with domestic sheep and the fatal diseases which they carry. The limiting factor in the populations continues to be pneumonia and not weather, habitat, or predation. If the adult bighorn sheep are not dying outright from disease through contact with domestic sheep then their lambs are dying within weeks of being born thus, the bighorn are not replacing themselves at a rate fast enough to keep up with other mortality factors and are continuing to decline in population. For years after an outbreak lamb survival is the limiting factor.
From an email sent today by Forest Supervisor, Suzanne Rainville:
“The Record of Decision for the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Forest Plan Amendment Identifying Suitable Rangeland for Domestic Sheep and Goat Grazing to Maintain Habitat for Viable Bighorn Sheep Populations will be available to the public July 30 when it will be posted in the Federal Register. We plan to have documents available on the Forest website by July 27. I will be hosting a briefing of my decision on July 28 at the Boise National Forest Supervisor’s office at 10:00 AM in the Sunset and Bear Valley Conference Rooms. The address is 1249 S. Vinnell Way, Suite 200 (second floor above Social Security).”
A yearling bison on Ted Turner’s Flying D Ranch has been found to have died from anthrax. The bison is not one of the quarantined Yellowstone bison transferred to Turner but this is nearby Turner’s Green Ranch where the quarantined bison are being held. This concern was brought up by those who opposed the transfer that will result in the privatization of 75% of the bison progeny after 5 years.
There was an outbreak on the Flying D Ranch in 2008 which killed more than 200 domestic bison. The Montana State veterinarian Dr. Martin Zaluski doesn’t expect there to be a further outbreak because Turner’s bison have been vaccinated for anthrax.
Anthrax again detected on Turner’s ranch, outbreak not expected.
By DANIEL PERSON, Bozeman Daily Chronicle Staff Writer
Bighorn sheep in Montana and elsewhere suffered severe losses this winter at the hands of pneumonia. In the East Fork herd bighorn were seen interacting with domestic sheep near Sula, Montana. Those domestic sheep were relocated earlier this year and another herd has been removed from the area to protect the remaining 87 bighorn sheep that survived the outbreak this winter.
Survival of lambs is the big remaining concern in the affected populations and it is being closely monitored.
Bighorn Sheep, Hells Canyon © Ken Cole
Domestic East Fork sheep removed.
by PERRY BACKUS – Ravalli Republic
We wrote about this story last December: Second brucellosis case found in Idaho cattle herd. It turns out that 7 cattle tested positive in the herd that was assembled over the last two years. The origins of the animals have not been reported. The remaining animals are being kept in quarantine.
Idaho State Veterinarian Bill Barton was quick to blame elk as the source of the outbreak but there has been no source identified. Will the results of the epidemiology be released?
Rancher still quarantining herd after brucellosis.
Idaho Statesman
FWP kills bighorn sheep to avoid disease outbreak.
Billings Gazette.
Hazing bison inside Yellowstone National Park on Madison River ©Ken Cole
The ridiculous annual event of hazing bison during their calving season is underway even though this year the bison are likely to come back out of the Park because the green-up of grass hasn’t started there due to late season snowstorms.
Each year the residents of the West Yellowstone area have to endure this fiasco on behalf of a few ranchers who whine and cry that their cattle might get brucellosis from bison when they don’t even bring them to the area a until after the buffalo have all calved. This year, due to the late green-up, it will likely be even later.
On numerous occasions I have witnessed Montana’s helicopters chasing buffalo deep into the Park even beyond the border of Wyoming in front of bewildered tourists. Last year, while hazing herds of newborn calves and their mothers off of private property where there never will be cattle again, Buffalo Field Campaign filmed a calf that had broken its leg in the malay of the hazing operation. These kinds of incidents are a common occurrence and there is no justification for it.
Alpine lakes and streams of the Sierra Mountains are fouled with Giardia, E. coli, and other pathogens from livestock grazing on Forest Service Lands. Dr. Michael J. Connor, the California Director of Western Watersheds Project is one of the authors of the paper.
You can read the paper here:
Derlet, R. W., Goldman, C. and Connor, M. J.: Reducing the Impact of Summer Cattle Grazing on Water Quality in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California: A Proposal. Journal of Water and Health. 8(2): 326-333. 2010.
Livestock waste found to foul Sierra waters.
Sacramento Bee
Another overview story about the bighorn sheep die-offs around the west. Estimates of the death toll have reached 1000 bighorns.
Severe pneumonia outbreak kills bighorn sheep.
American Veterinary Medical Association
Do you want a sheepherder’s job? Look for yourself and you can make a whopping $650 – $750 a month! No, that’s right now, not some time in the future like 1950!
Type in the word “sheepherder” on the Idaho Works job search page and see for yourself: https://labor.idaho.gov/idahoworks/es/jobsearch/default.aspx
It’s a career full of challenge! You get to work with dogs, sheep, and sometimes goats! You also get to work for people who have great connections with the Legislature in any given western state! Hell, you might even get to work FOR a legislator!………. A lot! Doesn’t it sound exciting?!!!
Not only to do you get to experience extremely remote areas for long amounts of time you may be exposed to interesting diseases like Q-fever or others!
To find out more read this!
Colo. scraps effort on sheepherder wages
By IVAN MORENO – Associated Press writer
“Immigrant advocacy groups complain that the workers, who come to the United States mostly from Peru and Chile on temporary work visas, are sometimes subjected to 90-hour work weeks for anywhere from $600 to $750 a month on ranches in the West, including Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and California.”
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
Here are two stories outlining what happened this winter with the outbreaks of disease in bighorn sheep. It appears that there are likely two different causes for the outbreaks. In the East Fork Bitterroot it appears that bighorn contracted mycoplasma from a small herd of domestic sheep near Darby where the owner reported contact. The sheep were later tested for disease and the samples matched what was found in the bighorn sheep. To the north and east in the upper and lower Rock Creek herds and the Bonner herd it appears that something else is going on but, even though there are many domestic sheep in close proximity to these bighorn herds, no documented contact has been observed. That doesn’t say much though and doesn’t eliminate the likelihood that contact occurred. We’ve had reports on this blog of seeing domestic sheep in an area one day and bighorn sheep in the same area the next in this region.
It should be noted that the owner of the domestic sheep in the Sula, Mt. area has moved the sheep and is hoping that a new home can be found for them in an area that doesn’t have bighorn sheep.
Fortunately the outbreaks haven’t been as devastating as others on the basis of percentage. Still, the overall numbers of bighorn sheep lost is staggering and the effects of the outbreaks will likely impact lamb survival for years to come.
Pneumonia outbreak cut bighorn herds in half
By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian
Biologist: Bitterroot herd survived pneumonia outbreak
By PERRY BACKUS Ravalli Republic Read the rest of this entry »
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
The Idaho Wool Growers Association and Shirts Brothers Sheep are suing the Idaho Fish and Game Department over an agreement that they signed in 1997 which would hold woolgrowers harmless if bighorn sheep introductions caused harm to their business. There are a number of problems with the agreement which make it unenforceable.
According to the lawsuit, “The Idaho Department of Fish and Game took no action to block the Forest Service from modifying the grazing allotments for Shirts and Shirts Brothers and took insufficient action to prevent Shirts and Shirts Brothers from being harmed by these actions”
I don’t know how the IDFG could block the Forest Service from making these changes. The IDFG has no control over the actions of the Forest Service. The IDFG does not manage grazing privileges on the National Forests and even if the lawsuit is successful it will not change the obligations of the Payette National Forest under the National Forest Management Act which requires them to manage the Forest in a manner which maintains the viability of native or desirable species, including bighorn sheep which have declined in number to only 3500 statewide.
In response to litigation by Western Watersheds Project, the Payette National Forest is drafting a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement which proposes an alternative which may close up to 60% of the Forest’s sheep grazing allotments to keep domestic sheep separate from bighorn sheep that inhabit Hell’s Canyon and the Salmon River Canyon.
Domestic sheep are known to carry diseases which are deadly to bighorn sheep and are likely to have killed hundreds of bighorn sheep throughout the west this winter.
Update 4/5/2010: 
A Copy of the Woolgrowers Lawsuit
~ be
Wool growers file suit against IDFG: Association claims state agency has not protected them from harm after introduction of bighorn sheep
Eric Barker – Lewiston Morning Tribune
Pneumonia continues to kill Nevada bighorn sheep
Associated Press
A report, dated March 16, 2010, by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Wild Sheep Working Group, summarizes the recent outbreaks of pneumonia in bighorn sheep that have occurred in Montana, Nevada, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Domestic sheep and goats are also known to be in close proximity to, and are suspected to have interacted with, bighorn sheep in many of the areas where outbreaks have killed hundreds of wild sheep region-wide. Contrary to recent reports in the media, there have been confirmed interactions between bighorn and domestic sheep associated with at least one of these outbreaks. Most notably there has been confirmed interaction in Montana where there have been severe outbreaks of pneumonia.
The report outlines many of the actions taken by the state agencies and what testing has been done. Many of the tests are still being conducted on samples from bighorn and domestic sheep and no conclusive results have been announced. It cannot be said that there has been no interaction between domestic and wild sheep. At the same time it cannot be said for certain that interaction has been the cause of all or any of these outbreaks, however there is overwhelming evidence that interaction between domestic sheep and goats results in widespread and rapid die-offs of bighorn sheep.
WAFWA WSWG Summary on winter 2009-10 BHS dieoffs
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
In 2007 the WAFWA Wild Sheep Working Group was created to give guidance to state, federal, and provincial agencies on how to manage domestic sheep and goats in wild sheep habitat. They produced a report to the agencies in June of 2007 but none of the recommendations have been implemented by the BLM or Forest Service. There are still numerous conflicts on the ground where domestic sheep and goat grazing is allowed within occupied bighorn sheep throughout the west. In some cases these conflicts have resulted in litigation and changes to land management plans are underway.
WAFWA Recommendations for Domestic Sheep and Goat Management In Wild Sheep Habitat
It is time for the BLM and Forest Service to implement strict guidelines which maintain separation between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep and goats. At minimum, permits for grazing and trailing sheep and goats on Federal lands in occupied bighorn habitats should be withdrawn. Farm flocks on private lands deserve some attention too. Programs for educating owners of farm flocks should be created and in some cases effective fencing to eliminate contact between the two should be offered or even required in areas where bighorn sheep are of high conservation value. Read the rest of this entry »
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
Disease forces DWR to kill bighorn sheep
by Brett Prettyman – The Salt Lake Tribune
Park officials consider killing off entire bighorn herd
Kevin Woster – Rapid City Journal
Update 3/3/10 GF&P secretary: Killing off bighorns not a serious option
Bighorn Sheep in Salmon River Canyon © Ken Cole
Populations of bighorn sheep are struggling with pneumonia throughout the west. Washington, Nevada, Montana, and most recently Utah are having outbreaks of pneumonia which have resulted in the deaths of 400 or more bighorn sheep.
Statements like the following are often made about the outbreaks.
“While domestic sheep carry pathogens that can infect bighorns, there’s no evidence linking them to any of the pneumonia outbreaks, wildlife officials said.”
But pneumonia does not just appear from nowhere, it has to come from somewhere. Were these diseases already in the herds from earlier exposures and have just become deadly due to winter conditions or have they been introduced to the wild sheep through contact with domestic sheep or goats recently?
Bighorn Sheep from the Bonner herd © Ken Cole
There are four disease outbreaks among bighorn sheep herds in the news this winter, two in Montana, one in Nevada, and one in Washington State. This is the time of year when bighorn sheep are concentrated so diseases are more easily transmitted.
There has been no mention of where these sheep contracted pneumonia but, as I mentioned in the recent story about this, there is domestic sheep grazing in an effort to control weeds in the nearby mountains. Could this be the cause?
Pneumonia outbreak widens; FWP will kill 95 sheep in West Riverside herd
By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian
Moose © Ken Cole
The worm is thought to be behind the declines in Wyoming moose populations as well.
Oregon biologists fear small moose herd may be infected with deadly parasite
By Richard Cockle, The Oregonian
Bighorn Sheep from the Bonner herd © Ken Cole
This is near an area where domestic sheep have been grazed to control weeds during recent years. The New York Times wrote a story about it here.
FWP kills seven bighorn sheep after pneumonia confirmed in Bonner herd. By Rob Chaney of the Missoulian
1-16-10 5 more bighorns killed in West Riverside in effort to stop pneumonia. By Rob Chaney. Missoulian
Public Lands sheep grazing not only creates conflict with bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, numerous other wildlife species, habitat degradation, weed proliferation, human conflict with guard dogs, and disease spread, it is responsible for the exploitation of migrant workers who “don’t speak English, don’t know where they are, and depend entirely on their employers for food, water and contact with the outside world.”
A job search for the word “herder” brings up a list of 10 jobs in Idaho and Wyoming which pay $750/month except for the job in Wyoming which pays $650/month.
https://labor.idaho.gov/idahoworks/es/jobsearch/default.aspx
There is another, less talked about, issue relating to sheepherders. Q-fever, which is carried by sheep, is known to cause infections in humans and possibly result in death. The spores can persist in the environment for years and people and livestock can become infected by breathing dust. These immigrant workers are disproportionally exposed to Q-fever and are at risk of becoming infected.
Advocates push change in working conditions for isolated immigrant sheepherders
IVAN MORENO
Associated Press Writer in the LA Times
Bighorn Sheep Lamb © Ken Cole
This is very bad but expected news. Both the BLM and the US Forest Service authorize domestic sheep grazing in areas near these bighorn populations. While there has been no mention of any interaction between domestic livestock and bighorn sheep there have been goats used to control weed in the Clover Valley just east of the East Humboldts.
In 1997 there was a die-off of both bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Ruby Mountains where a large percentage of the animals were lost.
It bugs me that both the USFS and BLM are waiting on the Payette Forest to determine what they are going to do about sheep grazing in bighorn sheep habitat before they develop a policy to address this issue in other areas. The science is clear and the need for a strong policy is obvious. Why are they waiting?
Disease reported in Nevada’s bighorn sheep
Reno Gazette Journal
Bighorn sheep monitored for disease in NV
Associated Press in the Las Vegas Sun
DISEASE REPORTED IN BIGHORN SHEEP NEAR WELLS
Nevada Department of Wildlife Press Release
Buffalo in quarantine - Kim Acheson
As is typical with this issue, the State of Montana has set up a false dichotomy with the bison in the quarantine program. They say that the bison need to be given to billionaire Ted Turner or slaughtered because they have no other options. This is nonsense.
As I have discussed before, there are other options including working with the Fort Belknap Reservation to locate the quarantined buffalo there, placing them back into the Park, or placing them on a state wildlife refuge, all of which would keep these bison in the public domain which was required under the plan. If Ted Turner receives these 78 buffalo he wants 190 of their progeny in return for his own commercial operations which also violates the agreement with the National Park Service to keep them in the public domain.
“There’s land in Montana,” said Stephany Seay with the Buffalo Field Campaign. “The alternatives are not Turner or slaughter. But that’s what we are being fed.”
Activists call for bison on state land
By DANIEL PERSON Chronicle Staff Writer
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
UI professor cleared of “scientific misconduct” – Idaho Statesman
Update 1-9-2010. U of I ruling on sheep researcher’s ethics isn’t credible. Opinion of the Magic Valley Times News.
It’s probably safe to say Marie Bulgin didn’t kill Kennedy either … but that’s it isn’t it? It’s an easy thing to secure an acquittal when you get to choose the charges …
Eric Barker of The Lewiston Tribune (subscription only) :
The university investigated Bulgin’s statements and compared them to the known scientific record. said Jack McIver, vice president of research. He said the scope of the investigation was narrow.
“It was pretty cut and dried,” he said. “It really boils down to was there fabrication of data, which there was not.”
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
The bighorn sheep in Central Washington’s Yakima River Canyon are dying of pneumonia. It appears likely that ODFW officials will try to stop the epidemic by killing the infected animals so that they won’t infect healthy bighorns.
Two Stories
Big decision on bighorns
Scientists may have to thin the herd in order to save it from disease
BY SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
What’s the source of pneumonia in bighorns?
BY SCOTT SANDSBERRY
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
Wyoming group donates hay to feed elk this winter. AP in the Billings Gazette.
Buffalo in quarantine - Kim Acheson
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks’ bison quarantine project started several years ago in an attempt to create a brucellosis free heard of Yellowstone bison from captured calves which had been repeatedly tested for the disease. These calves were separated from their mothers who were slaughtered and placed in pastures just north of Gardiner, Montana where they were fed out of troughs. They have no connection to their land and have not been exposed to experienced, older animals so they haven’t learned buffalo social skills. There is a big problem though. The program wasn’t thoroughly thought out, the FWP didn’t have any takers for the bison before the program was started.
The original, and often vaunted, intent was to create herds which would be used to repopulate the western public and tribal lands with genetically pure bison. There is a requirement to keep the bison that leave the quarantined facility fenced away from other animals for an additional 5 years in case brucellosis, a bacterial disease, re-emergerges. That’s expensive and nobody wants to do it so proposals to take the bison have been limited.
Enter Ted Turner. He has offered to keep the bison fenced, at a cost, for five years but he wants 190 of the progeny expected to be produced during those 5 years so that he can improve the genetics of his own commercial buffalo operations. This is the polar opposite of what was originally required of the recipients of the bison. The plans specifically mandated that the bison would not be mixed with hybrid bison and that they would remain in the public trust.
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has said that the other major proposal to take the bison to Fort Belknap is not serious in nature and that they would have to slaughter them if they can’t give them to Ted Turner. They frame the issue as if slaughter is the only other option.
FWP biologists, volunteers cull sick bighorns in East Fork of Bitterroot. By Perry Backus. Ravalli Republic.
Damn those domestic sheep!
– – – –
This story earlier on this blog. Bighorn sheep near Darby, MT dying of pneumonia.
This has been a perennial issue in areas surrounding the elk feedlots in Wyoming. It now seems that brucellosis has once again infected cattle in Idaho but it is too early to say where the disease originated. If brucellosis is found in another cattle herd in Idaho within a year then Idaho, once again, will lose its brucellosis free status and all cattle that are exported will have to be tested for the disease.
For years this scenario was held over the heads of people who support free roaming bison in Montana yet, when it came to pass, it turned out to be more of a minor inconvenience rather than the catastrophe the livestock industry claimed it would be.
This issue has been used rather effectively against wildlife for years but the disease is much less of a threat to human health than it was before the pasteurization of milk became the standard. The only way to contract brucellosis is by coming into direct contact with infected fetal tissue or by drinking unpasteurized milk. You cannot become infected by eating cooked beef.
Livestock disease found in eastern Idaho cow
By REBECCA BOONE (AP)
The Partridge Creek allotment in the Salmon River Canyon near Riggins is closed to domestic sheep grazing after Western Watersheds Project, The Wilderness Society, and Hells Canyon Preservation Council filed suit in Federal Court.
This is a huge victory for bighorn sheep which have declined in number to 3500 statewide, half of 1990’s population.
BLM won’t fight grazing ban on Idaho allotment
Associated Press
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
The BLM Partridge Creek Allotment has been closed to sheep grazing to protect bighorn sheep from domestic sheep disease. This is a big victory for bighorn sheep in the Salmon River Canyon. These sheep are native sheep and have seen drastic declines over the years due to domestic sheep diseases.
This decision follows victories for bighorn sheep on US Forest Service allotments in the area.
Federal judge shutters Idaho grazing allotment
Associated Press UPDATED STORY
From Western Watersheds Project:
~ Jon Marvel Read the rest of this entry »
After the Marie Bulgin scandal rocked the Bighorn world many of us had hoped that the issue of disease transmission from domestic sheep to bighorn sheep might be largely resolved in the public debate. Recent news stories suggest otherwise.
Likewise, there continues to be a lot of political posturing and spinning going on.
Below are the recent articles, a general roundup of recent bighorn sheep issues that have hit the news with some added editorial comment – and perhaps a few insights that didn’t make headlines.
be
Finally, let’s hope-
“The Union of Concerned Scientists has estimated that as much as 70 percent of antibiotics used in the United States is given to healthy chickens, pigs and cattle to encourage their growth or to prevent illnesses.”
The medical community has been urging this for decades. Administration Seeks to Restrict Antibiotics in Livestock. By Gardiner Harris. New York Times.
Although domestic sheep are not allowed to graze the Robb-Ledford Wildlife Management Area in SW Montana, they are permitted to spend a couple days “trailing across” it to summer pasture. This may be enough to pollute the area with sheep diseases that kill bighorn.
Thankfully, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, at the request of Western Watersheds Project and other conservation groups, is looking into whether this dangerous practice should continue.
Montana FWP to reconsider sheep’s place on wildlife management area. By Daniel Person. Bozeman Chronicle Staff Writer
Bighorn sheep lamb © Ken Cole
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has voided the Payette National Forest Science Advisory Committee’s contribution to management decisions when it decides whether or not to ban or reduce domestic sheep grazing on the Payette National Forest.
Federal judge voids bighorn sheep disease report – AP
The Woolgrowers successful claim means that the public should have been granted access to ‘listen in on’ the Science Advisory Committee, which was assimilating and summarizing existing information. This decision cuts both ways, ensuring access for industry as well as conservation advocates. The Woolgrowers were not successful in overturning previous decisions restricting domestic sheep grazing.
The judge goes out of his way to affirm that the existing information, including the scientific data demonstrating evidence of disease transmission from domestic to wild sheep that the committee summarized, can still inform management actions.
Not included in the article is the irony that Mark Rey, former undersecretary for natural resources and agriculture for the Bush Administration, is the man responsible for establishing the science advisory committee at issue.
Hope I’m wrong, but I doubt this will get approval if it means bison will be able to migrate outside Yellowstone Park because brucellosis is not the real issue. It’s the symbolism of who has the upper hand on the public’s land.
Tentative deal would replace brucellosis rules. By Matthew Brown. Associated Press.
Nez Perce concerned about UI vet center, leader. The Associated Press in the Idaho Statesman.
The Tribe says that it is losing credibility in the University of Idaho Caine Veterinary center when it comes to the accurate reporting of the outcome of tests of bighorn sheep and domestic sheep tissues.
The Tribe has a big stake in this because of their treaty rights given the disease caused decline of bighorn sheep in Idaho.
The bighorn which interacted with domestic sheep on private property near Riggins, Idaho has been killed. During the last 3 1/2 weeks it is know to have had contact with 11 other bighorn rams which may be killed as well if tests determine that the ram killed had pneumonia.
Fish and Game finally kills sick bighorn wandering along Salmon River for weeks
Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman
The Idaho Conservation League has become the second group to resign from the BHS/DS Advisory Group. The first was the Nez Perce Tribe who cited the same reasons for resigning. Currently the Group is suspended while the Idaho Fish and Game and the sheep permitees develop “best management practices” as mandated by the Legislature in S1232. These BMP’s will likely have no effect on the situation as you can see from the story I just put up.
Here is the statement made to the participants of the group. Their letter to the Governor is linked to below. Read the rest of this entry »
Bighorn Sheep © Ken Cole
The controversy over whether domestic sheep transmit deadly pathogens to bighorn sheep seems to have been settled.
At issue now is whether studies were intentionally suppressed by staff of the Caine Veterinary Teaching Center in Caldwell Idaho, whether leadership at the lab had cultivated a working environment so pervasivesly sympathetic to the livestock-industry that objective science was a far-shot anyway, whether it was both, neither, or somewhere in-between. One thing’s certain in our minds, land-grant Universities throughout the West show similar signs of livestock industry fostered bias – it’s just easier to get federal and state grants that way, and our public landscape and wildlife continue to take the short-end for it.
Specific to this case, there is question as to whether Dr. Marie Bulgin, who is the Teaching Program Coordinator of the lab and is/was the president of the Idaho Woolgrowers Association, knew about the studies before testifying to the Idaho Legislature and in front of a Federal Judge.
When confronted with the existence of the paper :
Contacted Thursday, Bulgin, a past president of the Idaho Wool Grower’s Association who worked at the Idaho center in 1994 but took over as coordinator only in 2003, said she knew nothing about the research until earlier this year.
As recently as April 3, 2009 I (Ken) witnessed Dr. Marie Bulgin testify to the Idaho State Legislature that there was no evidence of transmission between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep in the wild. You can also see here that Senator Jeff Siddoway used this testimony to convince the legislature to pass S1175.
Sen. Siddoway also explained that according to Marie Bulgin, a University of Idaho veterinarian, no scientist has found a single instance of pasteurella moving from domestic sheep to bighorn in 19 years of research.
There exists a copy of the paper, which has not been published nor peer reviewed, obtained by Western Watersheds Project recently after being made aware of it several months ago. The paper outlines two incidents in 1994 where bighorn sheep were observed intermingling with domestic sheep. One of the bighorn sheep had been relocated several months previous to the incident and at the time of relocation had been found to be free of the pathogen. The bighorn were each captured and taken to the Caine lab where they were held in isolation, had samples taken from them and they subsequently died of pneumonia. Samples were taken from the domestic sheep as well and when the two were compared biochemically identical strains of Pasteurella haemolytica were found in both the bighorn sheep and domestic sheep samples. Marie Bulgin’s daughter was acknowledged in the paper for her contribution to the lab work that took place back in ’94.
The Idaho Statesman issued an Editorial Opinion about the issue.
Our View: You can’t pull wool over the eyes of science
– Idaho Statesman
Rocky Barker also writes about the issue.
Was bighorn research at the University of Idaho suppressed?
BY ROCKY BARKER
Sheep-bighorn battle dike breaks
BY ROCKY BARKER
Ken Cole and Brian Ertz contributed to this post.
UPDATE: UI investigating researcher over bighorn study John Miller AP
Note: a more robust story than initially has been linked to below
Marie Bulgin is Coordinator of the University of Idaho’s Caine Veterinary Teaching and Research Center, a prominent research facility that has investigated potential links between domestic sheep disease and bighorn die-offs. At the same time serving as head of the research facility, Dr. Bulgin raised domestic sheep herself, and has served as the President of the Idaho Woolgrower’s Association. Marie Bulgin has long held that there has been no evidence of direct transmission of disease linked to the die-off of bighorn from domestic sheep in the range :
We do know that they do have die-offs periodically and the more recent ones that I’m familiar with have been pneumonia and the pneumonia is a pasteurella caused pneumonia, bacterial, and domestic sheep die of pasteurella pneumonias, but so far in the research we’ve done here, and we’ve done quite a bit of it, we haven’t been able to connect the pasteurella in domestic sheep with that that causes the die-offs in bighorn sheep.
She has testified to this under oath in federal court and to the Idaho legislature and her testimony has been widely used by sheepman, local politicians, and local media (as recently as 2 days ago) to deny the direct link between domestic sheep transmission and muddy the waters concerning bighorn management – and she’s gotten away with it.
Now, a study has emerged, conducted by her own University of Idaho Caine Veterinary Center, by researchers more recently under Dr. Bulgin’s charge. The study demonstrates compelling evidence that transmission of disease between domestic sheep to bighorn sheep does in fact take place in the wild. The research paper was completed in 1994, but for some reason, the study has not shown up until very recently.
U Idaho knew bighorn disease link after ’94 – Associated Press
Why was this important study held ‘under the radar’ for so long ?
Update 5/31/09: It gets worse. Sick, wandering bighorn trailed near Salmon River. Idaho Statesman.
Bighorn Sheep ©Ken Cole
A bighorn sheep ram has interacted with domestic sheep on private property upriver from Riggins, Idaho and is reported to be sick. It is now associated with several other bighorn sheep. IDFG officials have decided to kill the sick ram but officials have not decided how to handle the situation regarding the other sheep. There is the possibility that the remaining sheep may be killed as well.
The Nez Perce Tribe has been closely monitoring bighorn sheep in the Salmon River Canyon in recent years in an effort to document how bighorn sheep use the canyon. This monitoring shows that this kind of interaction can and does occur.
The owner of the domestic sheep holds permits on nearby BLM and Forest Service allotments but has been prevented from running sheep on the Forest Service allotments but the BLM continues to allow grazing on their allotments at the expense of bighorn sheep which are very susceptible to pneumonia that are carried by domestic sheep. There have been numerous die-offs of bighorn sheep around the country that are due to these types of interactions.
It is particularly negligent for the BLM to allow continued domestic sheep grazing in this area but they have resisted efforts to close the allotments and it is contrary to their own recommendation and that of Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) of maintaining a minimum 9-mile separation between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep. Read the rest of this entry »
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