Sheep Industry News April 2024

President’s Notes BRAD BONER ASI PRESIDENT

M-44 Ban Hurts Sheep Industry I n March, we found out that language was placed in the ag appropriations bill that removed another tool from Wildlife Services’ dwindling toolbox. It appears at this early juncture that WS employees will no longer have M-44s available to them. It has still not been verified exactly how this transpired, but it appears as though the language was “air dropped” by a senator into the bill in the waning hours of the negotiation process of the ag appropriations conference com mittee. This sets another underhanded and desperate precedent that has previously been avoided by our detractors. Since no language on M-44s was in either the Senate or House versions of the ag appropriations bills that went to the conference committee, it was a huge surprise to find it included in the final version of the bill. Unfortunately, even though it came out of the bill as “report language” and not “statutory language” – which means the U.S. De partment of Agriculture’s implementation is optional – we found out that USDA leadership fully intends to act on the language in the ag appropriations bill and began removing M-44s from all their employees' use immediately. By the time you read this letter, ASI and the several state associations that actively use the device will have a strategy in place to try to reverse this unprecedented action. Please inform yourself of our strategy and help us implement it with your congressional delegation. At a minimum, I would strongly urge each of you to reach out to your congressional representatives and ask them to contact Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at USDA and urge him to not implement this optional language that removes the M-44 from our predator management toolbox – one that has already been decimated by never-ending government regulations. As our government continues to make it harder and harder for us to provide the human requirement of food and fiber for the people of this country, every one of us need to raise the volume and increase our shouting from the rooftops about how these misguided and unprecedented actions are rapidly decaying our ability to fulfill the minimum daily nutritional and comfort requirements necessary to sustain even a minimum standard of living for our people. These ill-conceived actions put in great jeopardy a continued free and viable population here in the United States of America. Until next time, try to keep it on the sunny side.

4 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org