Your opportunity to preserve goatpacking!
#1
You have the opportunity to comment on the use of domestic sheep, goats and pack goats in the Shoshone National Forest.

The comment deadline of August 10th is fast approaching!

The outcome of the final decision by the Shoshone National Forest regarding pack goat use will very likely have a domino effect on how other National Forests address pack goat use.
 
The Shoshone National Forest has prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for Use of Domestic Sheep, Goats, and Pack Goats, which is a Supplement to the Shoshone National Forest Plan, which was revised in May of 2015.
 
The Shoshone National Forest proposes to limit areas where domestic sheep allotments are stocked and restrict the use of domestic goats and pack goats on the Forest to reduce the risk of disease transmission to bighorn sheep.
 
Follow the links to the documents below.  Neither is extremely long and you will find plenty to comment on regarding the possibility of disease transmission from pack goats to big horn sheep.  The new best science available is not being used in these documents!
 
The 2016 GOAT MOVI STUDY CONDUCTED BY DR. MAGGIE HIGHLAND, a Veterinary Medical Officer and Researcher with the USDA-ARS-Animal Disease Research Unit, in collaboration with USDA-APHIS personnel is the most current best science available regarding the possibility of disease transmission from pack goats to Bighorn Sheep.
 
From spring through fall of 2016, 576 goats (419 packgoats and 157 housed on premises with packgoats), from 83 premises located in 13 states, were sampled 3 times at 4 week minimum intervals to test for nasal presence/shedding of Movi. Nasal swab samples were collected in duplicate at each time point, with one nasal swab from each sample collection being tested in Dr. Highland’s laboratory and the second swab from the first sample collection being tested in an independent laboratory. Repeat nasal swab sampling of the goats in this study has confirmed the presence of Movi on just 5 of the 83 premises (6% of premises).  Premises that had Movi detected in any of the goats had between 7 to ≥15 goats present on the premises.  Movi was confirmed to be present on the nasal swabs collected from 30 of the 576 goats tested; this means 94.8% of the goats tested had NO Movi detected on nasal swab samples. Of the 30 total confirmed Movi positive goats, 27 (or 90%) of them were ≤1 year of age (23 of them were <5 months).
 
In addition to the nasal swabs, ocular swabs were collected during the first sample collection. Ocular swabs are still being analyzed for the presence of pinkeye-causing bacteria.
 
In summary, not only does the behavior and handling of pack goats drastically decrease the risk of a domestic pack goat coming into contact with a bighorn sheep, it would seem highly improbable based on this large scale study that a domestic pack goat would even be shedding Movi should such an unlikely contact occur.
 
After reading these two documents please submit your comments.  Alternative #3 is NAPgA’s preferred alternative.  It permits pack goat use in the Shoshone National Forest with the east amount of risk for the Bighorn Sheep.
 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC...541051.pdf
 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC...541057.pdf
 
Comments on the SDEIS must be submitted via mail, fax, or in person (Monday through Friday, 8AM - 4:30 PM, excluding holidays) to:
 
Casey Mc Quiston, Resource Staff Officer
Shoshone National Forest
808 Meadowlane Avenue
Cody, WY  82414
Fax: (307) 578-5112
 
Electronic comments including attachments may be submitted by email in Word format (.doc), portable document format (.pdf), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), and hypertext markup language (.html) may be sent to: comments-rocky-mountain-shoshone@fs.fed.us
Goatberries Happen!
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#2
Thank you so much for posting this Taffy. Did Irene post this info to Facebook? I need to get it on the NAPgA site as well.
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#3
I posted it on all of the Facebook packgoat groups. Irene has been posting some great little "teasers" on Facebook as food for thought when composing comments on the SDEIS.
Goatberries Happen!
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#4
Can I use this for the NAPgA site? I was planning to type something up myself, but why reinvent the wheel?
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#5
You bet! Anyone is welcome to use it!
Goatberries Happen!
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#6
Irene typed up a very nice form letter for those who would like to comment but don't know what to say or how to say it. I encourage you to change it into your own words and add any other concerns of your own. Please remember when commenting to be courteous and professional in your wording.

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Casey McQuiston, Resource Staff Officer
Shoshone National Forest
808 Meadowlane Avenue
Cody, WY 82414

Dear Mr. McQuiston:
I wish to comment on the Shoshone National Forest Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Risk Analysis of Disease Transmission.

I understand that the goal is to have low risk of disease transmission between pack goats and Bighorn Sheep. However, a recent study, conducted by Dr. Margaret Highland, veterinary researcher with the USDA, found that there was a much lower level of disease-causing bacteria than previously thought. Even Dr. Tom Besser, the Chair for the Wild Sheep Disease Research Unit at Washington State, stated the following: “I believe that M. ovipneumoniae test-negative pack goats represent a negligible risk for triggering pneumonia outbreaks in bighorn sheep and that it would be reasonable to take this into account when setting public lands policies” (Wild Sheep Foundation Newsletter, Summer 2016). I am asking you to take this new research and professional opinion under consideration when choosing the best alternative.

I currently own ___ pack goats. I take excellent care of my animals and I follow many of the Best Management Practices suggested by NAPgA. If these practices were required, I would have no problem following them and using other methods to reduce the risk of contact between my goats and Bighorn Sheep. I feel that when these practices are used, the risk of contact would be low to very low, or even as close to zero as possible.

I'm interested in the conservation and survival of Bighorn Sheep. However, the recent recent research and professional opinions of research veterinarians needs to be considered. Pack goats are a much lower risk than originally thought. In addition, requiring Mitigation Measures (Best Management Practices) should result in Bighorn Sheep being at low-to very-low risk from disease caused by contact with Pack Goats. Please do not close off the Wind Rivers to goat packing.

Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
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#7
(07-24-2017, 08:42 PM)Nanno Wrote: Irene typed up a very nice form letter for those who would like to comment but don't know what to say or how to say it. I encourage you to change it into your own words and add any other concerns of your own. Please remember when commenting to be courteous and professional in your wording.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Casey McQuiston, Resource Staff Officer
Shoshone National Forest
808 Meadowlane Avenue
Cody, WY 82414

Dear Mr. McQuiston:
I wish to comment on the Shoshone National Forest Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Risk Analysis of Disease Transmission.

I understand that the goal is to have low risk of disease transmission between pack goats and Bighorn Sheep. However, a recent study, conducted by Dr. Margaret Highland, veterinary researcher with the USDA, found that there was a much lower level of disease-causing bacteria than previously thought.  Even Dr. Tom Besser, the Chair for the Wild Sheep Disease Research Unit at Washington State, stated the following:  “I believe that M. ovipneumoniae test-negative pack goats represent a negligible risk for triggering pneumonia outbreaks in bighorn sheep and that it would be reasonable to take this into account when setting public lands policies” (Wild Sheep Foundation Newsletter, Summer 2016).  I am asking you to take this new research and professional opinion under consideration when choosing the best alternative.

I currently own ___ pack goats.  I take excellent care of my animals and I follow many of the Best Management Practices suggested by NAPgA.  If these practices were required, I would have no problem following them and using other methods to reduce the risk of contact between my goats and Bighorn Sheep.  I feel that when these practices are used, the risk of contact would be low to very low, or even as close to zero as possible.

I'm interested in the conservation and survival of Bighorn Sheep.  However, the recent recent research and professional opinions of research veterinarians needs to be considered.  Pack goats are a much lower risk than originally thought.  In addition, requiring Mitigation Measures (Best Management Practices) should result in Bighorn Sheep being at low-to very-low risk from disease caused by contact with Pack Goats.  Please do not close off the Wind Rivers to goat packing.

Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
I have a similar letter that I'm working on....I've had the file open on my computer for two weeks, & have edited it a million times already, & added to it daily.   I will finalize the draft & send it shortly. I just want to make sure I don't miss anything.  

Just a reminder to others not to forget that the comment period is up August 10th.   

Happy writing!
Have a nice day, & hug your goats often!   Heart

https://www.instagram.com/eugene.m.stoner.the.goat/ 
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#8
Fire in the hole.
Sent my letter today.
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#9
I email my letter a couple of days ago.
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#10
Thanks for the template. I copied it and tweaked it with my one words and sent it in!
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