For generations, the Helle family in southwestern Montana has raised high-quality sheep and wool. Now, however, conflicts with wildlife are threatening their way of life.
The issue at hand is grazing conflicts between the family’s domestic sheep and wild bighorn sheep.
John Helle said the family didn’t think they had a bighorn sheep issue.
"We worked with the wildlife people, sportsmen, we got a reintroduction to take place out here so we didn’t think we had a working relationship, didn’t have an issue but we ended up in court" he said.
Helle said they had an adverse decision by a judge who said they didn’t do the NEPA process correctly.
"But now, the Forest Service went in and did the NEPA process wrong and I received a notice from my attorney that they’ve appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the part that they did lose," he said. "It’s really strange to me because I really don’t think we had an issue. “
The U.S. sheep industry has worked on the issue for years. Helle explained where the industry goes from here and what they’re doing to find a workable solution.
He said they have some opportunities for help from Congress, but added it’s a band-aid approach and that they need to build relationships.
“We need to manage wildlife, manage our resources, our federal lands more from a local area. The Montana Wild Sheep Foundation and the Montana Woolgrowers, we’ve had some rocky roads, but we’ve been working together. And we’re trying to help bring aspects of disease research and all the different things. We tend to focus on one small problem when it’s the big picture.”
The Helle family isn’t fighting the issue alone. Others in surrounding states are also facing this same issue, which is a top priority for the American Sheep Industry Association and state affiliates like the Montana Woolgrowers Association.
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