Sheep Industry News September 2024

Executive Board Conducts Summer Meeting

T he ASI Executive Board met on July 30 in a budget for the coming fiscal year that will then need approval from the full board of directors. ASI’s new fis cal year begins on Oct. 1. Executive Board members traveled to South Da kota the day before meeting all day to set the budget and discuss a variety of industry topics ranging from requests for Guard Dog funding to the upcoming Farm Bill to targeted grazing and plans for the 2026 ASI An nual Convention in Reno, Nev. During the meeting, the Executive Board set both the Wool Trust and Fund II budgets for the upcoming fiscal year while also approving dues rates at the cur rent level: 3.5 cents per stock sheep and $8 per member for state associations. Associate member and minimum dues rates for state dues were set at $400 and individual Deadwood, S.D., for its annual summer meet ing. The focus of the meeting each year is to set

memberships were set at 3.5 cents per stock sheep or $50, whichever is greater. The board approved a $15,000 contribution from the Guard Dog Fund to the Western Legal Resources Center for ongoing legal cases surrounding grazing of public lands. At the request of ASI President Brad Boner of Wyoming, the board approved the appointment of a working group on agrivoltaics/solar grazing to identify partner and coalition opportunities for the American sheep industry. In addition to the meeting, the Executive Board held a well-attended reception that evening with members of Center of the Nation Wool and the South Dakota Sheep Growers Association. The gathering concluded with a tour the day after the meeting as the Executive Board visited the Geis Ranch and Innes Ranch in east ern Wyoming.

16 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org