Sheep Industry News June 2024

Donate Now to Support Guard Dog, Sheep Heritage

P redators come in many forms for America’s sheep flock. While coyotes and wolves stalk lambs under the cover of night, the daylight hours present sheep producers with their own set of challenges – ones that often pit men in suits battling before judges and juries. Just as producers put faith in livestock guardian dogs to protect their flocks, the American sheep industry has for two decades counted on ASI’s Guard Dog Fund to assist those fight ing legal battles on behalf of the entire sheep industry. Such predators to the industry in recent years include an attempt to close one of the industry’s oldest and most important lamb processing plants, challenges to public lands grazing, restric tions on predator control and unregulated lamb imports. “Dues to ASI are 100 percent spent lobbying in Washington, D.C., so there would be no opportunity to fight for the sheep industry through the court system if we did not have the Guard Dog Fund,” said ASI President Brad Boner. “While we all face challenges as producers, feeders, and lamb and wool proces sors, we need to come together to support our industry. State sheep producer organizations recognize this opportunity and are the primary requests of ASI Guard Dog Funds. All funding requests are reviewed by the Executive Board or, when pos sible, the full Board of Directors.” ASI generally solicits donations for the Guard Dog Fund in the fall. Checks from producers, state sheep associations and industry advocates arrive at the ASI office through the ASI Annual Convention each January. Please review the names of the 140 producer families and other advocates who contributed during the 2023-24 campaign on pages 10-11. These families and businesses carry the entire load of supporting the non lobbying battles of the sheep industry. “ASI recognizes these contributors every year and we are grateful for their membership to the Guard Dog program,” said ASI Vice President Ben Lehfeldt of Montana. “My fam

ily – similar to the Boner family – has contributed since the program was born 20 years ago. Funding needs are out running finances this year given the raft of federal regulations issued that threaten the industry, as well as the animal rights attacks. We believe is it timely to ask the magazine readers to join the program this year. Please use the enclosed envelope or QR code to make a donation.” “It is your leadership’s belief that we need to reach a much higher percentage of our members who are willing to contrib ute to this very important effort,” Boner wrote in this month’s President’s Notes. “I would encourage each of you to donate as you are able. Every penny goes to help us successfully defend this great industry from the onslaught of uninformed detrac tors whose only goal is seeing that we go away.” can graze sheep on their U.S. Forest Service allotments today largely due to Guard Dog support of litigation to fend off shut downs due to challenges over wild sheep. A huge share of sheep production could be threatened if the litigation angle is not met head on by the sheep industry. Fund support every year of the Western Resources Legal Center has been a game changer in the wild sheep fight. Guard Dog support is allowing ASI to intervene in the West ern Watersheds legal effort to shut down grazing over environ mental analysis of grazing permits on Department of Interior lands. The sheep industry is carrying its share alongside cattle men in the fight only because of the Guard Dog program. A referendum in the city of Denver is threatening the lamb industry with a ban on slaughter of livestock within the city limits. The Denver lamb facility is the second largest plant in the country and is the target of animal activists sponsoring this November vote. BATTLES Sheep ranches in Washington, Montana and Colorado

2024

2023

Guard Dog Fund

2022

2021

$0

$20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 Expenses Donations

8 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org