Sheep Industry News February 2024

Council Prepares for Disease Outbreak CAT URBIGKIT

with the top five states being Nevada, Texas, California, Mon tana and Colorado. The top predators dealt with by the agency include coyotes, mountain lions, black bears, black vultures, and feral/free-ranging dogs. Last year the agency removed 68,651 coyotes nationwide, as well as 437 black bears, 291 gray wolves, 237 mountain lions, and six grizzly bears. Eastern Regional Director Keith Wehner talked about how black vultures have greatly increased in both its population size and range, with resulting increases in damage. Black vul tures are much more aggressive than turkey vultures and will kill small- and medium-sized livestock. Wehner said this agency is working toward gaining a better understanding of how to prevent damage by black vultures, as well as learning about vulture ecology. Wehner said the agency just finished a vehicle and tarp preference study, learning that black vultures prefer red, green and black trucks, but don’t like white trucks. The vultures prefer tarps that are placed on vehicles and seem to be attracted to the petroleum smell from the tarps, shredding and consuming the tarps. Since vultures are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Wildlife Services works with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in obtaining depredation permits to deal with damage and scare congregating flocks away from farms. Western Regional Director Wendy Anderson talked about the high interest topic of wolf depredation in Western states, where the animals are federally protected. Anderson reported that the recently revised standards of evidence for Mexican wolf depredation are working well, although they continue to generate controversy with area livestock producers. Anderson also talked about the recent release of gray wolves into Colo rado, and the variety of non-lethal tools the agency is provid ing to ranchers to deter wolf depredation since lethal control of depredating wolves is constrained. Although the Bureau of Land Management has prohibited the use of M-44s on the public lands it administers in the West, council members also learned that WS is continuing the process of developing a new oral toxicant for coyotes that will be delivered using a spring-loaded ejector device. Along with the new toxicant, WS is working on an antidote that can be used to reverse the toxicant effects in case of accidental exposure to companion or working dogs. PUBLIC LANDS Sigrid Johannes of the Public Lands Council provided a rundown of priority issues it is advocating in Congress, See Resource Management on Page 29

I n the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States, federal animal health officials would impose a national movement standstill for a minimum of 72 hours, Danelle Bickett-Weddle of Preventalytics told Resource Management Council members in Denver. The nationwide standstill would allow officials to begin an investigation and initiate control efforts for an outbreak. But if an outbreak were to occur while domestic sheep flocks were grazing on federal land, what would the impact be to these producers, and what actions could be taken for producers to ensure the continuity of their business? Bickett-Weddle said that planning for biosecurity for sheep grazing on public lands allotments is her current focus in developing guidance for the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan. With nearly half of the domestic ewe inventory residing in the 11 public lands states in the West, the impact of a for eign animal disease outbreak such as Foot and Mouth Disease could be substantial. When FMD is diagnosed, animal health officials will establish a control area that will include both the infected flock and a buffer zone where all animals will be quarantined and movement will be by permit only, based on risk. FMD exposure risks include common-use roads in remote regions with limited access. A livestock carrier transporting an infected animal might contaminate the roadway, and public lands recreationalists might use the same roads or trails. Min gling with wildlife infected with FMD could also risk exposure for livestock on public lands. Producers would need to maximize the distance between their flocks and other grazing flocks, and with wildlife species, and will need to work with animal health officials in planning for their flocks to remain in an area or be moved to lower disease transmission risks. Logistics for ensuring flocks have feed, water and care will be of immediate concern, as well as limiting the number of people that have contact with the flock. Bickett-Weddle said additional resources for producers to plan for the continuity of business are being added to SecureSheepWool.org as they become available. WILDLIFE SERVICES The council also heard an overview of Wildlife Services’ fo cus during the past year and how it varies from one side of the country to another. WS assisted sheep producers in 32 states,

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