Bighorn Sheep Earn Some Breathing Room
The Forest Service has decided to scale back domestic sheep grazing to reduce the risk of disease transmission to bighorn sheep decimated by foreign diseases.
Larry Jacobs photo of bighorn sheep
After years of litigation and counterlitigation filed by conservation groups and ranchers, the Payette National Forest issued a long-awaited decision on how to manage bighorn sheep.
Bighorn sheep, one of Idaho's most iconic wildlife species, are at less than 10% of historic numbers. Bighorn sheep populations in Hells Canyon and the Salmon River have dropped by half since 1990, largely due to lung-disease outbreaks transmitted by domestic sheep. Just one contact between the species can wipe out an entire herd of bighorn sheep.
This week the Forest Service decided to phase out domestic sheep use from core areas down to 31% of previously permitted use over a three-year period. At the same time, the amount of protected source summer habitat needed by bighorn sheep will increase from 0% to 94%.
The bighorn-domestic debate is far from over. Because domestic sheep grazing can continue on nearby private land, long-term risk still persists for Idaho's bighorn sheep. While this decision is an important step in the right direction, the question remains on whether it goes far enough and fast enough. Hunters, hikers, boaters and wildlife watchers hope that Idaho's bighorn sheep will be able to breathe easier soon.
