Good Morning (Afternoon) Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for joining us for a briefing

from the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service regarding its Domestic

Sheep/Bighorn Sheep Management Framework. Our presenter today is Danielle Chi, the

director of Natural Resources in the Intermountain Region. Lee Jacobson, who is the

region’s threatened and endangered species program manager; Martina Barnes, who is the

capitol city coordinator liaison for this project; and I am Rosann Fillmore, the public affairs

specialist for this project. Please be sure your phones are on mute. Danielle, we are ready to

begin.

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Good Morning (afternoon) ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our briefing. At the end of

our discussion we will have time to take questions.

Let me start with a little background.

In 2003 the Payette National Forest completed revision of the 1988 Payette National Forest

Land and Resource Management Plan. The plan was appealed asserting it failed to

adequately address the risk of disease transmission between bighorn sheep and domestic

sheep. The Chief of the Forest Service agreed and instructed the Payette to reanalyze this

risk to understand potential impacts of domestic sheep grazing on bighorn sheep viability

on the forest.

In 2010 the Payette National Forest issued a final Environmental Impact Statement and

Record of Decision that outlined a phased out approach that would reduce domestic sheep

grazing on the Payette NF to ensure the forest was maintaining habitat to support viable

populations of BHS as required by regulation.

On March 25th of this year, the Circuit Court upheld the Payette’s Environmental Impact

Statement.

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In 2011, following the Payette Decision, Joel Holtrop the Deputy Chief for the National

Forest System directed national forests with bighorn sheep populations to address the

potential for disease transmission from domestic sheep and goats to bighorn sheep. To do

this the forests were to conduct a bighorn sheep risk assessment using a 4-step analytical

process. In 2012, a second letter reiterated the critical importance conducting a risk of

contact assessment and a bighorn sheep viability analysis

This direction coupled with recent litigation prompted Region 4 to develop a Domestic

Sheep Bighorn Sheep Management Framework.

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The Intermountain Region of the Forest Service believes that with careful study and

management it can manage habitats to sustain and conserve viable populations of bighorn

sheep on our national forests, while retaining opportunities for domestic sheep grazing.

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The region developed the management framework to rely on the best available science and

emphasize both providing habitat to maintain viable populations of bighorn sheep while

retaining grazing opportunities for domestic sheep.

At the foundation of the framework is a risk of contact assessment that will identify areas

where domestic and bighorn sheep may interact.

A viability analysis will be conducted using the information from the risk assessment to

determine which allotments are putting the forests at greatest risk of not meeting their

viability requirement.

Based on the results of the viability analysis, forest supervisors, regional managers, and

other employees will explore various management options for managing bighorn sheep and

domestic sheep in ways that reduce risk of contact on the national forests of the

Intermountain Region.

It is important to note that this not a decision process, but provides the tools that can be

used to make the most well-informed decisions.

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The Payette National Forest, which has already been through this process, will not be

included in the framework. Those districts of the Humboldt Toiyabe that are home to

Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep will not be included. The Sierra-Nevada Bighorn Sheep are

listed as an endangered species and are managed as such.

The Domestic Sheep/Bighorn Sheep Management Framework is Region 4’s approach to

implementing the 2011 Washington Office letter of direction. Other regions in the Forest

Service will develop their own methods for obtaining information to assist them in

managing domestic and bighorn sheep.

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We have a suite of people involved in the Framework. The project lead for this effort

A core team with members from forests across the region. They have been chosen for their

expertise in working with data, rangeland and wildlife issues.

The states of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming are working with us to assure we have the

most scientifically defensible data they can give us regarding bighorn sheep populations and

habitat.

A second team of federal experts will be assembled to conduct a bighorn sheep viability

analysis with input from state experts.

The Forest Supervisors, Region Managers and additional staff will work together to

develop various management options to address the risk of contact issues, once they are

identified.

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Let’s look at the three prongs of the framework. The risk assessment relies on data

collected by state agencies on habit, movement and populations of bighorn sheep. We are

currently working with states to interpret their data.

Concurrently, we have been updating and confirming the forests’ data on allotment

boundaries, status of allotments, and the type of use. This will tell us whether allotments

are vacant or in use, and whether they are being used by sheep, goats, or cattle.

These two sources of data will be applied to a risk of contact model, which will tell us

where the highest risk of contact occurs between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep.

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This map provides an example of what the results of a risk of contact model might look

like.

Allotments are indicated by these lined polygons.

The yellow points are telemetry locations of bighorn sheep which are used to designate the

core herd home range, this oval shaped blue and green area in the center of the map.

The pink donut shows where rams are most likely to wander outside their home range. The

darker the pink, the higher the probability of foray.

Where the allotments overlap the core herd home range and these foray areas are where

there is a risk of contact between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep.

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When the risk of contact assessment is complete, the Region will convene a team of federal

employees with expertise on bighorn sheep. Working closely with state experts, they will

evaluate the information to determine which herds on specific forests are putting the

Forests most at risk of not meeting their viability requirement.

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Need the language in the regulations

The viability analysis will consider age-class structure, population size, incidents of disease,

risk of contact results, and reintroduction status. This is necessary to infer the likelihood

of retaining species on the forest. The viability analysis will be peer reviewed by experts.

The individual forest is the required level for this analysis, because that is the area of our

responsibility. We have no authority or responsibility on state and private lands. This means

we will not be conducting the analysis on single allotments. It is also more effective and

efficient to analyze a forest than individual allotments.

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This work will set the stage for exploring and creating a variety of options that Forest

Supervisors can use as they make decisions regarding management of bighorn sheep and

domestic sheep on their forests.

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Developing a variety of management options that helps the Region obtain its goal of

maintaining viable bighorn sheep populations while providing opportunities for domestic

sheep grazing is vital.

One single management tool does not take into consideration the various conditions on the

landscape.

Although the discussion will be based on the data and occur once all the information is

gathered and interpreted, some ideas are already being tossed around.

I would like to emphasize once again that this will not be a decision-making process, but is

a part of the information gathering and analysis that will help Forest Supervisors and

District Rangers make better decisions.

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The team has been working with the states since mid-March.

We expect to have the Risk of Contact Assessment completed by August.

We will conduct the viability analysis from September through November, and consider

management options from December thru February.

Decision making regarding bighorn sheep/domestic sheep management will occur on the

individual forests as needed.

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The Intermountain Region is the first region to approach implementation of the WO

direction using for the gathering and analysis of data regarding bighorn and domestic

sheep.

Although other regions are under the same direction to analyze the risks to bighorn sheep,

they are not bound to follow the framework for analysis and management options that the

Intermountain Region has developed.

We are stepping out in front because we have the added pressure of the court settlement

that requires us to re-evaluate NEPA analysis on numerous grazing allotments in the region.

We believe a regional approach to the analysis will result in greater consistency, eliminate

multiple approaches to the states, and alleviate the burden for analysis from the individual

forests.

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Rosann: Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for joining us today. We hope you feel like you

have a better understanding of the Domestic Sheep Bighorn Sheep Management

Framework that is being carried out in the Intermountain Region. If you have further

questions, feel free to contact any of the people listed in this slide. If you would like to

download the power point, just navigate to the top of the page, click on the small icon that

looks like pages, and follow the directions. We will leave the meeting site available for a few

minutes after the webinar to allow you time for downloads. Good Day.

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