Abstract
PAG Report 30 | Published January 2010 | This report describes the existing situation in late 2009 for the conservation and sustainability of wild Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (BHS) populations in Idaho, while also maintaining domestic sheep (DS) operations, some of them reliant on federal land grazing allotments. Reducing the risk of DS transmitting fatal respiratory disease to BHS involves separating BHS and DS to prevent contact between these sheep cousins. Separation can adversely affect some DS operations. The main problem addressed herein is BHS/DS interaction. We describe 1) federal and state decision processes and events for BHS conservation that affect DS grazing in the vicinity of BHS, 2) the participants involved in those processes and their perspectives, and 3) the information they rely on. By design we do not identify alternatives to the current situation, but hope the information will help Idahoans understand the full range of issues as they seek ways to sustain viable BHS populations and DS operations throughout the state.