Here’s the story, but the interesting thing is why it has no chance of passing.
It’s because of the dominance of livestock lobbyists in Idaho. It won’t pass for the same reason the legislators rail and rave about wolves. The wolves are a diversion to keep hunters from seeing the privatization of wildlife in favor of lazy, Dick Cheney kind of “hunters.” It is also to wipe out the news about how the woolgrowers want to kill of most of Idaho’s bighorn sheep so to expand their disease ridden domestic sheep operations.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
Credit to Sen. Langhorst: “I filed the bill just so it would get printed,” said Sen. David Langhorst, D-Boise, the assistant minority leader. “I don’t want to go through the same fight as last year. I just want to keep this issue alive.”
From the article: “Despite those efforts, sportsmen’s groups are considering a voter initiative to shut down the hunting operations and ban new domestic farms.”
But the reporter doesn’t name the sportsmen’s groups. Email him if ‘ya want; I did: matt.christensen@lee.net
Kristy Sternes, president of the Idaho Elk Breeders Association: “Some people simply believe it’s ethical to hunt confined elk, others don’t”, she said. Idahoans should decide what’s ethical and what isn’t.
Bring on the initiative.
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Mack P. Bray
My opinions are my own
wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net
http://wildlifewatchers.jottit.com/
Count me as another supporter of a ballot initiative that would end any new operations and get existing elk farms shut down over time. I’d be curious to see the history of the MT initiative – ballot language, legal challenges, enforcement, etc.
Yikes.
So Risch and the elk breeder are completing for Craig’s seat? Heaven help Idaho.
Did anyone notice how there wasn’t much said about the disease and feeding grounds problems in Wyoming?
I hope that an initiative gets on the ballot. I wonder how that would play out in some upcoming litigations concerning predators and their prey’s conditions.
I too would support such an initiative in Idaho, although I live in Wyoming, where the legislature has made it impossible to introduce initiatives in the State.
Brucellosis is not a true problem in Wyoming; biologically, it’s more a marker for the more serious diseases, such as chronic wasting disease that will find the high population densities on the elk feedgrounds to its liking.
TpageCO…..might be able to help you out with your questions concerning the Montana initiative. You can get my email from Ralph or Mac.
Jerry
Sooner or later one of those elk farmers will feed his elk some bone meal or blood meal that has scrapie infested domestic sheep remains or import an elk from a place that has CWD and Idaho will have CWD in its deer and elk herds.
I just returned from Wild/Domestic Sheep Disease Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah. Biologists and veterinarians from the western U.S. and Canada presented research papers on the impact of diseases shared by Bighorns and domestic sheep. While the woolgrowers argue about which organism kills the Bighorns, it was obvious that getting the domestic sheep off of the range benefits Bighorns.
Utah had 200 Bighorns in 1960 and embarked on a program of buying out domestic sheep ranches and range permits in areas that had the potential for Bighorns. Utah now has 7,000 Bighorns.
In 1954 Idaho had about 2500 Bighorns. A lot of money has been spent on research, radio collars and transplants in Idaho over the past 50 years, but today Idaho has about 2500 Bighorns. Idaho has the potential for tens of thousands of Bighorns, if there were no domestic sheep on public lands.
Everytime domestic sheep come in contact with Idaho Bighorns, the Bighorns start dying. The research money would have been better spent on retiring domestic sheep range allotments. The Bighorns die whether they are wearing radio collars or not.
From Matt, the reporter (prompt reply appreciated):
“Thanks for the note. In the next paragraph, I think, I quote the senator as saying the initiative is in the works, but there’s nothing solid on it yet, and he declined to name the group.
Conventional wisdom in Idaho, however, would say it’s the Idaho Sportsmens Caucus Advisory Council, which had hinted at an initiative following last year’s legislative session. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the council — it’s coalition of about 30 organizations. I contacted some folks with those organizations, none of whom said they
knew of an initiative or were willing to comment.
So, just to be clear: There is nothing official, according to
legislators, regarding an initiative, but if there is one in the works I’d bet the council is behind it.”
—
Mack P. Bray
My opinions are my own
wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net
http://wildlifewatchers.jottit.com/
Stan Boyd of the Idaho Sheep Commission
Stan Boyd, Idaho Cattle Association
Stan Boyd, Idaho Wool Growers Association
Stan Boyd, Idaho Elk Breeders Association
etc. etc. etc….
Stan Boyd was registered as a lobbyist in 2007 in the state of Idaho for: YELLOWSTONE BEAR WORLD, IDAHO ELK BREEDERS ASSN., RIDGELINE ENERGY, IDAHO WOOL GROWERS ASSOCIATION
*LOBBYIST REGISTRATION (pdf)
Idaho Elk Breeders Association ~ Idaho, the friendly Elk state :