U.S. officials and a sheep industry group have dropped their appeals of a court ruling preventing sheep grazing in western Montana and eastern Idaho by a sheep research facility long targeted by environmental groups concerned about potential harm to grizzly bears and other wildlife.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month granted a request by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station and Colorado-based American Sheep Industry Association to drop the appeals filed earlier this year.
They had sought to overturn a ruling in April by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Bush that the government hadn’t adequately examined all of the impacts with its 2017 environmental review allowing the grazing.
U.S. officials opted to drop their appeals first and were followed shortly after by the association.
Grazing was suspended in 2013 following previous lawsuits by environmental groups contending the areas contain key wildlife habitat that is a corridor for grizzly bears between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. Conservation groups contend grizzly bears have been killed because of sheep station activities.
The groups also say bighorn sheep, which can acquire deadly diseases from domestic sheep, and greater sage grouse use the area.
The Sheep Experiment Station, based near Dubois, Idaho, has not only been targeted by environmental groups but has also been on the federal budget chopping block under the administrations of both President Barrack Obama and President Donald Trump. (AP)
