Brucellosis Management meeting in Pinedale May 2
by Wyoming Game & Fish Department
April 24, 2006
(Pinedale) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will hold a public meeting to present the Brucellosis Management Action Plan (BMAP) for the Pinedale elk herd unit on May 2nd, at 6:00 PM, in Pinedale at the Sublette County Library.
This plan was designed to identify what ranchers and wildlife managers can do to reduce brucellosis transmission among wildlife and from wildlife to livestock. Biologists worked closely with local ranchers and federal agencies to develop the recommendations outlined in these plans.
Nine options are presented in the BMAP to minimize brucellosis transmission risk. These options include the implementation of the test-and-removal pilot project, habitat improvement projects to reduce elk dependency on feedgrounds, and the building of an elk-proof fence near Muddy Creek, where transmission of brucellosis from elk to cattle likely occurred.
The Pinedale BMAP is a final document. Several of the actions recommended have been initiated by WGFD and approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and Wyoming Governors Brucellosis Coordination Team (BCT). The purpose of the meeting is to simply inform the public of what efforts are planned to reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission between elk and cattle, and from elk to elk. While Department officials will be on hand to answer any questions and concerns the public may have, formal public comment will not be recorded at the meeting.
The Brucellosis Coordination Team outlined the BMAP process as a critical step for preventing brucellosis transmission from elk to cattle and regaining the state's brucellosis free status. Brucellosis transmitted to cattle herds from elk caused Wyoming to lose its brucellosis free status in 2004.
The Game and Fish supports the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone needing auxiliary aids to attend this meeting should call (800) 843-8096 (in-state only) or 307-875-3223. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.
|
